Tsukiji Fish Market's Controversial Move

Above, workers in the early morning at the Tsukiji Fish Market.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The vendors of the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo aren't too happy about the planned move of the fish market to a new site. In fact, many (if not most) are strongly opposed to the move.

According to the Japan Times:

Moves by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to build a new marketplace on the site of the Tsukiji market have drawn mixed reactions, with some critics saying it is an attempt to bulldoze through the controversial relocation of the famed fish market to a new site. 

Some experts and Tsukiji players who have continued to express grave concerns about the safety of the relocation site in Koto Ward said the move to build a new market at the old site ignores their concerns and turns a blind eye to the problems in Toyosu. 

The safety of the relocation site has been in question since 2001, when Tokyo Gas Co., which had a factory there, revealed that the area contains high levels of lead, arsenic, hexavalent chromium, cyanogen and benzene. 

While the metropolitan government has insisted that safety can be ensured, opponents have sharply criticized moving the market to a site so heavily polluted.

To read the full article, go here.