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2019 February 27 - March 5 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Former Tsukiji women traders criticize Governor Koike as ‘promise breaker’

March 5, 2019
A group of women workers at the former Tsukiji fish market on March 4 petitioned political groups in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly to grill Governor Koike Yuriko about the breaking of her promise regarding the market relocation to Toyosu.

Governor Koike in June 2017 published a basic policy paper regarding the Tsukiji market relocation. Under the policy, she vowed to construct a new Tsukiji facility where former Tsukiji middle traders will be able to operate their businesses within five years after the market relocation. She also promised not to sell off the Tsukiji market site for a large-scale development project.

The women’s group “Tsukiji Okamisan Kai” in the petitioning criticized the governor for breaking her promise when she in January this year announced a redevelopment plan of the former Tsukiji market site which includes the construction of a convention center. The group said that the governor’s pledge in June 2017 gave Tsukiji middle traders, who will move to the new market site in Toyosu, hope for their return to the “familiar place” of Tsukiji within five years, demanding that the governor hold to her vow.

In response to the request from “Tsukiji Okamisan Kai”, Japanese Communist Party assembly members Azegami Miwako and Ozaki Ayako at an assembly meeting on the day took up the issue of Governor Koike’s policy change.

Azegami referred to the governor’s promise that the Tokyo government will construct a new facility which will function as a food market and will provide necessary support to former Tsukiji middle traders if they wish to resume their businesses at the new facility in Tsukiji. Azegami asked the governor if her promise will be fulfilled with the newly announced development plan.

Governor Koike repeated that the 2017 basic policy just outlined the direction toward the market relocation.

Another JCP assemblyperson, Ozaki, noted that the 2018 supplementary budget draft includes the cost of selling the Tsukiji market site estimated at 542.3 billion yen. Pointing out that the supplementary budget plan is not included in issues discussed at the special budget committee, Ozaki said that the Metro government intends to avoid being grilled about its plan to sell off the former market site. Ozaki urged the governor to attend a one-on-one debate session and answer questions in regard to her policy change.

Past related articles:
> Tokyo governor breaks her pledge to use former Tsukiji site as food-centric theme park with market function [January 24 and 25, 2019]
> Tokyo governor decides to relocate fresh market to contaminated Toyosu site [June 21, 2017]

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