Yesterday I went to "Tsukiji" in Tokyo and had a sushi meal with a few Italians.
Tsukiji is located next to Ginza, Japan's busiest business district, and is known as the "Great Kitchen of Tokyo" because nearly 40 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area eat and drink every day, and their seafood and fruits and vegetables are traded and supplied here. Without Tsukiji, the people of Tokyo would be hungry.
In the 17th century, Tokyo Kitchen was built on Nihonbashi near Ginza, where a market called Uogawagishi was established, and for more than 300 years, it has supported the eating life of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
The old scene of the "Fish Riverside Market".
However, in 1921, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo, and the Uogawa Market was destroyed. As a result, the Japanese government decided to build a new seafood trading market in Tsukiji, called the "Tokyo Central Wholesale Market", commonly known as the "Tsukiji Market".
Why is it called "Tsukiji"? Because this piece of land was reclaimed from the sea in Tokyo Bay.
In 1935, Tsukiji Market was completed and put into use, and it was not only a new kitchen in Tokyo, but also a seafood street built around the periphery of this market, and for nearly 100 years, Tsukiji has been a place of nostalgia for Japanese people, because many young people who came to Tokyo from the countryside after World War II in search of opportunities, many of them had their first job as delivering fish in Tsukiji. And for Tokyoite, if you haven't been to Tsukiji and eaten seafood when you're in love, it's not love.
Seafood at Tsukiji Market is expensive for freshness
In 2018, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government relocated the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market from Tsukiji to the Toyosu area of Koto Ward to host the Tokyo Olympics.
The fish market is gone, but the food court is still there, and the buildings of the Tsukiji fish market are a little old, but they have the style and charm of the Showa era, and the fireworks in the world are still strong.
The Tsukiji Food Court is still crowded
So, how should the Tsukiji market, which has been closed for six years, be redeveloped?
In order to solve this problem, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and various experts have held many discussions, and invited some of Japan's largest commercial real estate development groups to come up with development and construction proposals for bidding. On April 25 of this year, the Tsukiji Redevelopment Review Committee announced that a development and construction consortium led by the Mitsui Fudosan Group and involving 11 companies, including Toyota Motor Corporation, Yomiuri Shimbun, and Kashima Construction, had been granted the right to develop the Tsukiji market area.
With an area of about 190,000 square meters, Tsukiji Market is bordered by the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay, the mother river of Tokyo, and is connected to the Ginza area.
The Tsukiji Market, which has been closed for 6 years, will be painted with a new map
So, how should the Tsukiji market be developed next?
According to information released by Mitsui Fudosan Group, Tsukiji will be built into a new commercial center in Tokyo in the future, and will also become a new center for international cultural and sports events in Japan. It will incorporate three main functions:
1. The future capital of health and innovation, 2. A new living area for food and cultural experiences, and 3. A new international welcome center in Japan.
According to the plan, nine buildings will be built in the Tsukiji Market area, including a large multi-purpose indoor stadium, life sciences and business complex, an international convention and convention center, a five-star hotel and two high-rise apartment buildings, as well as a yacht center and a cultural theater complex.
Tsukiji market redevelopment plan and design plan
Among them, the large-scale multi-purpose indoor stadium will replace Tokyo Dome, which is currently the largest indoor sports complex in Japan, and the seating capacity will be expanded from 20,000 people to 50,000 people, divided into fixed and movable seats, and the roof will be freely opened and closed, and various concerts and exhibitions will be held by domestic and foreign artists in addition to various sports events.
In addition to these buildings, a new exit for the Rinkai Subway Line and the Metropolitan Expressway will be built from Tokyo Station to Tokyo's Haneda Airport via Tsukiji. In the future, it will also be the first flying area for flying cars in Tokyo, and it will also be the new "land, sea, and air" transportation center of Tokyo. After shopping in Ginza, foreign tourists can walk 10 minutes to Tsukiji to eat, drink, and experience Japan's new technology, culture, and cuisine.
According to the plan, some facilities will be put into operation in 2029, and the overall development of the entire area will be basically completed by 2032, with a total investment of about 900 billion yen (about 42 billion yuan).
How should Tokyo be transformed into a global metropolis for the 21st century and the AI era? The construction of a "city within a city" in Azabudai Hill is a model, and the comprehensive development plan for the Tsukiji market, as well as what new technologies will be adopted, what new concepts will be incorporated, and what new facilities will be built?