Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike appears likely to wait until after the July 2 metropolitan assembly election to decide whether to approve relocating the Tsukiji fi
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike appears likely to wait until after the July 2 metropolitan assembly election to decide whether to approve relocating the Tsukiji fish market amid contamination concerns at the new site in the Toyosu district of east Tokyo.
“It is difficult to foresee what will happen,” Koike said during a recent interview. She said the timing depends on a re-examination of groundwater at the new site, where benzene at 79 times the safety limit has been detected.
“The problem is very likely to be protracted,” Koike said.
The relocation issue will be a major focus of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election as it is unclear who decided to build the new market at the site, she said.
The Tsukiji market, known for its daily fish auctions, was originally scheduled to be relocated on Nov. 7 last year. But Koike, who took office in August, decided to put the move on hold amid concerns about soil as well as air pollution.
