Tokyo Gov. Koike Declares Toyosu Market Safe

August 1, 2018

Tokyo- Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Tuesday that the site of the planned Toyosu wholesale food market is safe following additional soil contamination control measures.

"The conditions have been met for opening it as a safe market," Koike told a meeting of senior metropolitan government officials.

The metropolitan government will start procedures to obtain approval from the agriculture, forestry and fishery minister to open the Toyosu market on Oct. 11.

After the meeting, Koike told reporters that monitoring for the safety of the market will continue and that the results will be released, underlining her resolve to take all possible environmental measures.

In August 2016, Koike decided to postpone the transfer of the functions of the aging Tsukiji food wholesale market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward to the Toyosu district in neighboring Koto Ward, citing concerns over soil contamination at the relocation site.

It emerged later that some soil contamination preventive measures were not carried out under some key facilities of the Toyosu market, leaving empty spaces beneath the facilities.

In June 2017, a panel of experts called on the metropolitan government to take additional soil contamination control measures.

The measures were completed earlier this month, including work to cover the floors of the underground empty spaces with concrete.

On Monday, the panel concluded that the safety of the Toyosu market has been secured thanks to the additional soil contamination control work. Jiji Press