A Way of Life Moves With a Market

With the most recent news of Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics, things are changing in Japan. While the proposal of the move was made about fourteen years ago, it's become more prominent with Japan starting to prep for their turn to host the Olympics.

Tokyo plans on spending $4.5 billion on relocating the 78-year-old fish market to a manufactured island in three years (2016) to give a broader face-lift to Tokyo before the 2020 Olympics. The manufactured island will be more modern and climate-controlled for the fish market's distribution center. Face-to-face fish haggling will cease to exist. Many mom-and-pop like shops have already gone out of business and replaced with Japan's big-box supermarkets and fast-food chains. The plans for moving appeared doomed with the discovery of toxic contamination in the proposed new location back in 2001. This lead to the rare street protests that could be seen in Japan.

Some members of the fishing industry oppose the idea of the move because not only will it destroy tradition and ruin a high tourist attraction location.  One of the opposers to the move is Makoto Nozue, 76, who has been selling fish in Tsukiji (nicknamed for the neighborhood the fish market surrounds) for nearly six decades. He is opposed to the move because “Tsukiji is a globally known brand name and a cultural treasure. Why throw this away?”

Then there are other fish marketers who believe the move is beneficial to keep up with the times of the city's fast-food chains and supermarkets. Tadao Ban, 68, is quoted, “Without the new market, we won’t have businesses left... I grew up in this market, and have spent my life here, but I also want to have a future dream to pass down to my children.” Ban had inherited his tuna wholesale company from his father and believes this move will benefit the fish market where they hope to further slow down or stop the decline seafood.


A Way of Life Moves With a Market