Market Relocation from Tsukiji to Toyosu Gathers Pace

October 9, 2018

Tokyo- Workers at Tokyo's renowned Tsukiji wholesale food market stepped up work on Sunday to relocate to a new market site in the capital's Toyosu district in preparation for the market opening scheduled for Thursday.

According to the Tokyo metropolitan government, the full-scale relocation work will continue through Wednesday.

A total of about 900 wholesalers, intermediate wholesalers and restaurant operators will move from Tsukiji to Toyosu. About 5,300 truckloads of freight in terms of 2-ton trucks will be transported to the new site, along with some 2,100 "turret trucks" motorized carts used inside Tsukiji market, which ended its 83-year history on Saturday as Japan's leading fish market.

For the relocation, market people were allowed to use a section of an urban road scheduled to open partially in November.

On Sunday, a total of 300 motorized carts traveled about 2.3 kilometers on the road from Tsukiji to Toyosu early in the morning.

After the new market opens in Toyosu, the Tsukiji wholesale market facilities will be dismantled. The Tsukiji market site will be used as a vehicle depot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games before redevelopment. Jiji Press