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New Tokyo governor postpones plan to move iconic Tsukiji fish market

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The year's first auction of tuna being held at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market in January. Photo: Kyodo
A newly elected leader of Tokyo has postponed a plan to relocate the world’s biggest fish market, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
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Governor Yuriko Koike announced on Wednesday that she would decide on a date only after an environmental assessment of the new site is completed in January. The move had been scheduled to take place in early November.

The current Tsukiji fish market is to be moved to the site of a former gas plant in Toyosu, a reclaimed area in Tokyo Bay, raising concerns about soil contamination.

Tokyo’s iconic Tsukiji fish market, as seen from above. Photo: Kyodo
Tokyo’s iconic Tsukiji fish market, as seen from above. Photo: Kyodo
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“It is a market that handles fresh food and seafood,” Koike, a former environment minister in the national government, said at a news conference. “The perspective of consumers about food safety is valuable, and I believe that citizens come first.”

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