Japan Press Weekly

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2017 August 23 - 29 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

‘Tomin 1st no Kai’ & Komei resist call for summoning of experts on Tokyo’s fish market relocation

The Tokyo governor’s “Tomin First no Kai” and the Komei Party have rejected a Japanese Communist Party proposal to summon experts as unsworn witnesses regarding the issue of relocating Tokyo’s central wholesale market from the present location in Tsukiji to the soil-contaminated former gas plant site in Toyosu.

Accordingly, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly’s committee in charge of the wholesale market on August 23 decided to not invite anyone to the committee to give unsworn testimony.

Governor Koike Yuriko has already withdrawn her previous policy of decontaminating the soil and underground water at the ex-gas plant site and decided to push forward with the transfer of the Tsukiji market to Toyosu as scheduled. With this turnabout, many Tokyo citizens are raising voices of concern over food safety.

The JCP has been proposing that the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly summon wholesalers, consumers, architects, and environmental professionals as unsworn witnesses to an assembly hearing with the attendance of Governor Koike. The Liberal Democratic Party has also been proposing holding a hearing of witnesses.

However, the Tomin First no Kai and the Komei Party expressed their opposition to these proposals, and the LDP retracted its proposal.

Oyama Tomoko, the secretary general of the JCP Tokyo Assemblypersons’ Group, after the metro government’s decision held a press conference and said, “We will continue making efforts for the summoning of concerned parties to be held.”

Past related article:
> Tokyo governor decides to relocate fresh market to contaminated Toyosu site [June 21, 2017]