. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
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Toyosu Food Market 豊洲市場 “Toyosu Shin Shijo”
. Tsukiji Fish Market 築地市場 .
- Introduction -
Original price: 431.6 billion Yen
final price: 588.4 billion Yen
It was supposed to open in November 2016 - BUT
Thanks to the new governor, Yuriko Koike 小池百合子.
Toyosu was chosen by former Governor of Tokyo Shintarō Ishihara for relocating Tsukiji fish market, but there was a longstanding controversy over this plan due to the toxic contamination of the chosen relocation area.
(wikipedia)
MetGov - Tokyo Metropolitan Government
September 28 - NHK
Koike told the metropolitan assembly on Wednesday that confusion over the planned relocation of a wholesale food market has resulted in loss of public trust.
The Tokyo government had planned to move the Tsukiji market to Toyosu this year after decontaminating the site, where a gas production plant once stood. But the work was not carried out as recommended by experts.
Koike criticized the government's handling of the problem, saying those making decisions have all denied knowledge of the discrepancy, prompting public frustration.
She stressed that it's her job to find out who decided what, when decisions were made, and whether a cover-up took place.
- last updated : 2016 - September 30 -
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This was the original plan, with morido 盛土 layers of clean soil
a layer of gravel/concrete
2 meters cleaned ground
2.5 meters new ground
a thick layer of concrete
Now suddenly these layers are missing and the buildings are standing on
謎の空洞 mysterious empty boxes, hollow space, empty concrete basement cavities . . .
MetGov says the hollow spaces have a concrete cover of 40 cm thickness. But not all of the ground is covered.
September 30, Friday NHK
The head of the Tsukiji market greengrocers' union says he feels betrayed by the Tokyo Metropolitan government.
Mikio Izumi spoke to reporters after watching Governor Yuriko Koike's news conference on Friday. His union is made up of about 450 fruit and vegetable dealers.
He said it is extremely disappointing that officials did not carry out the decontamination work as they had originally proposed. He added that he hopes Tokyo officials never again present market dealers with false explanations.
Izumi said the dealers are also shocked by the latest groundwater test at Toyosu, which found benzene and arsenic slightly in excess of environmental standards.
He said he wants a panel of experts to assess the results and consider measures to remedy the situation.
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- - - - - 東京都知事 Governors before Koike
They obviously never asked too many questions.
September 27:
Koike is going to meet Ishihara regarding the capital's troubled new wholesale food market.
Ishihara was in charge when controversial decontamination steps were taken at the site.
There have been five heads of the Toyosu Project since 2008, it seems. And all claim they thought the morido was done properly.
September 30, Friday - NHK
An inquiry into the Toyosu market site has concluded that former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara did not influence the location's underground design plan.
The inquiry confirmed that in May of that year, Ishihara told a Tokyo government official in charge of the wholesale market to study a different plan to cut costs. Ishihara proposed burying empty concrete chambers called caissons under the market's buildings.
But the market's chief told the governor the next year that the idea would cost hundreds of millions of dollars more. Ishihara reportedly said he understood.
The inquiry team says several other Tokyo government officials have also testified that Ishihara's idea had nothing to do with the subsequent construction of empty spaces beneath the market buildings.
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There are many open questions :
Who signed the plan for the building standing not on the morido,
but with an open box space of about 4.5 meter high?
Was there a misunderstanding, since everyone claims it should be above the morido?
Or was it deliberate by someone in the city office? (quite possible)
or the construction firm (hardly believable) ?
Was there a plan to built an underground space for maintenance above the morido with stilts to support this?
How far above ground is the main access road for the dealers to reach their allocated spaces ?
It seems it is higher that necessary.
September 13, 2016 - NHK news
Former and current Tokyo metropolitan officials apparently knew they were misinforming the public about steps to counter soil pollution at a new wholesale market site, but took no action.
Sept. 23? - NHK news
Possible change in assessment on new market site
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has suggested that the environmental assessment for the city's proposed new food market may need to be altered.
She hinted at the possibility on Friday, while speaking to reporters.
It was recently revealed that the market site had not been completely filled in with clean soil, as recommended by experts.
The metropolitan government issued an environmental assessment report for the new market in 2011. It stated there will be no impact from exposure to contaminated substances after decontamination efforts are completed.
A gas plant used to stand at the site and harmful substances were detected. The report was based on experts' advice to fill the site with clean soil as part of decontamination efforts.
Koike says that generally speaking, if any problem arises from what was previously reported that must be included in a new assessment.
She also says it will take about a month to decide whether to conduct a fresh investigation and about another 15 months to put together.
The 4.5-meter layer of clean soil is missing from under five main structures at the new market location.
September 27, 2016 - NHK
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says its officials asked an architectural design firm to create empty spaces beneath the capital's new wholesale food market, against the advice of experts. ...
The Tokyo government is looking into why the spaces were created despite the fact that experts said back in 2008 that the entire compound should be filled with clean soil. ...
The probe has yet to determine who decided to go against the advice and when the decision was made.
September 28, 2016 - NHK
Ryoichi Kishimoto, The chief official of Tokyo's wholesale food markets has apologized for misinformation about measures taken to deal with soil pollution at the site of a new market.
... He apologized for causing people to worry. ...
- but no explanation for the WHY !
September 30, NHK - Friday
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has come up with an investigative report on decontamination work at the capital's planned new wholesale food market in Toyosu. NHK has learned that the report says officials were unable to determine who decided not to fill the market's foundations with clean soil or when the decision was made.
... The report says officials in bureaus in charge of the matter began discussing in 2008 a plan to create spaces underground for monitoring contamination even after the market's opening. In 2009, they created an image of the spaces with heavy machinery placed underground.
Officials then proceeded with studies on soil decontamination between 2010 and 2013. In August 2011, department and section chiefs are said to have confirmed at a meeting a policy to create underground monitoring spaces.
... The report attributes the problem to a lack of communication between superiors and subordinates as well as employees in administrative sections and those in engineering sections. In addition, it's not clear who was responsible for the entire project.
... full discussions of the issue next week.
..... A former chief official of Tokyo's wholesale food markets Naoyuki Tsukamoto says he knew that the ground under the buildings of the new Toyosu market was not covered with clean soil. Tsukamoto is one of 5 former chief officials that served in the post during the planning of the decontamination measures. ..... On Friday morning, Tsukamoto said in an NHK interview that he saw the buildings' blueprints, but that he didn't think it was a problem.
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Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says an inquiry has failed to find out who was responsible for not putting clean soil under the buildings of the capital's new food market.
She hinted at a further investigation.
... She said that in August 2011, department and section chiefs confirmed the basic policy of creating the spaces. Officials are said to have discussed measures to deal with polluted soil between 2010 and 2013.
... Koike suggested she will consider new steps, including a further probe and introducing a whistleblower system to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
October 03, Monday
Hiruobi showed a blueprint of the buildings, with a space of about 2 m and a small shovel car inside, then a ?concrete ceiling (seemingly in ground level), then another space of about 2 m for "monitoring" and then the buildings.
Now Koike san has to make sure the official report is not accepted and the truth made more clear.
Gaping holes in the Toyosu report (JT)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should reveal the decision-making process that altered measures to shield the Toyosu market from onsite toxic substances.
And another fish marked in Omiya (North of Tokyo) is worried about the 風評被害 "fuhyo higai" bad reputation of food coming from Toyosu (now they get it via Tsukiji).
October 05 (NHK)
Document on Toyosu construction discovered
Democratic Party members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly say they have found a document that is not mentioned in a report on the decontamination work at the site of the capital's new wholesale market.
The Tokyo government released the results of its inquiry on Friday. But the report fails to determine who was responsible for not putting clean soil under the buildings at Toyosu that will replace the aging Tsukiji market.
The report says Tokyo government officials studied measures to deal with soil contamination between 2010 and 2013. It considers this period as crucial for decision-making, and gives a detailed explanation of the process of designing the market buildings.
Democratic Party members say, however, that the report does not include a document showing a building and its foundations.
A design firm submitted the plan to the Tokyo government by January 2011. It contains a drawing of a building and says there is no need to put clean soil under the structure.
Observers say assembly members are likely to question the thoroughness of the Tokyo government's probe.
October 06 (JT)
Koike vows to nail officials who cut corners in Tsukiji move
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Wednesday she may take disciplinary action against officials involved in the relocation of the Tsukiji fish and vegetable market ...
(NHK)
Fish wholesalers in Tokyo have sharply criticized the Metropolitan Government for misleading them about the environmental safety of the site meant to replace the aging Tsukiji food market.
They expressed anger at a meeting with government officials on Thursday.
About 300 wholesalers based at Tsukiji attended Thursday's meeting, which was closed to the media. ... They demanded compensation for the relocation postponement. And they told officials they wanted assurances that Tsukiji's reputation for clean and safe fish would be maintained at the new site.
One wholesaler expressed concern that the massive media attention will threaten the market's success if consumers are worried about the fish there.
October 06 (JT)
Former governor Ishihara refuses to attend hearing on Toyosu market soil woes
Ishihara had said he would assist with any investigation into the decision-making process that led to the soil debacle at Toyosu.
LDP, Koike mend fences ahead of by-election for her former seat
October 07
It seems the construction company made a proposal about the open spaces under the building. But that is highly improbable, because these firms usually only react to instructions from their client.
The MetGov official pages now show the ongoings about Toyosu, mostly dated in 2008 or 2009.
And one of them, also officially dated in that year, was inserted on September 2016 ! (It is a bit tricky to find that out online, but possible for anyone to check.)
The MetGov is still not helpful in the search for the truth of the matter.
October 13, Thursday - NHK
Head of Tokyo's wholesale market to be replaced
The official in charge of Tokyo's wholesale food market will be replaced to take responsibility for the confusion over the relocation of the Tsukiji market.
..... Ryoichi Kishimoto, and several other senior officials, will be removed from their posts shortly. ... Tokyo officials plan to investigate Kishimoto's predecessors as well.
Tokyo assembly approves Toyosu panel
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly has approved setting up a special committee to delve into problems related to relocating a food market in the Japanese capital.
The panel was proposed after safety, construction costs and other problems at Toyosu were discussed by a committee in charge of the move.
The discussion led to findings that a report on the metropolitan government's internal probe into the new site contained incorrect descriptions.
The panel is to continue discussions while the assembly is closed. Another panel of experts and a taskforce of the metropolitan government are also investigating the issue.
November 01 - NHK
Koike reveals the time line of this development, with August 2011 as the crucial time when the plan was changed from morido to monitoring space. There are at least 2 OB and 8 other officials involved, and at their top Ishihara (who does not remember much . . .) .
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Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has blamed 8 former department and section chiefs of the Tokyo government over changes in decontamination measures at the capital's new wholesale food market. ...
Experts had advised the Tokyo government years ago to cover the entire site with clean soil, as the ground was contaminated with chemicals from a gas plant that had once stood there.
The governor concluded that the decision was reached in a meeting of department and section heads in August of 2011.
She added that the decision was finalized one month later when the head of Tokyo's wholesale food markets approved a construction order.
Koike criticized the decision to change the decontamination measures, saying the Tokyo government had decided by 2009 to place clean soil over the entire site.
She said 8 former department and section chiefs during a period of about 18 months from November 2010 were in positions to make or know of the decision. Four of them are current senior officials, including a vice governor who was the head of the wholesale food markets in 2011. The other 4 are retired.
Koike said some of them said they didn't know or didn't receive reports, but that such excuses are not acceptable. She said she plans to impose penalties on the 8 people.
..... An internal probe by the Tokyo metropolitan government has shown that a former department chief likely played a key role in changing the decontamination measures for the capital's new food wholesale market.
..... The internal probe found that the former department chief in question was also involved when the Tokyo government made a formal decision in February of 2009 to cover the entire site with clean soil.
... The probe also shows that around January of the same year, the ex-chief may have proposed the idea of creating space under the Toyosu buildings for the first time.
The report says
the idea was passed down among officials in technical fields over the following years.
But in response to Tokyo officials' questions, the ex-chief denied playing such a role in those key phases.
The denial is believed to be one reason the latest probe failed to find out why the officials decided not to place clean soil under the buildings.
Tuesday's report says no officials in managerial positions raised questions about the change, even though there should have been many opportunities to do so.
It says it cannot be denied that the impact of such failure to act was grave.
-
- This shows who did when, but still not WHY this happened.
November 17 - NHK
Koike to present schedule for food market move
According to the new schedule, the Toyosu market can open in about a year if safety is assured by an expert panel and a Tokyo government team.
The schedule also says more construction work at the site may further delay the market opening. If a new environmental assessment is needed, it means a delay of another year.
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- - - - - monitoring space モニタリング
Toyosu market basement areas created for emergency cleanup work
Why would this be necessary if the ground was properly prepared with 4.5 m clean soil?
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Why is now the gravel layer open and only partly covered with concrete?
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anzen anshin 安全 安心 to be safe, to feel safe
The motto of the new Toyosu market.
BUT
many now think, even if the water is pronounced anzen,
the whole project does not feel anshin for a food market.
The water under the buildings the pools - how much is it tainted?
There are differences in the findings of the parliament party members and the Town Officials.
The water level seems rising (it rained a lot around Spetember 20 - 26). It is now almost 30 cm.
September 13th
The first results: hexavalent chromium and arsenic.
September 17, 2016
Benzene, a toxic chemical, was not found in water in the basement - says the MetGov.
Sep 18
arsenic and chromium found at density levels around 10 to 35 percent of the legal limit.
These substances do not evaporate into the air.
Sep 21
Some members of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly say that a cyanide compound has been detected. The level exceeds the government-set environmental standards.
- NHK news -
Lead detected in water at Tokyo's new market site
The Tokyo Prefecture government says that a slight amount of lead was found in water that has accumulated below the site of a proposed new food market.
They show that the amount of lead in the water is about one tenth the level permitted by environmental standards.
The samples from the site in the Toyosu also contained traces of arsenic.
They were tested for 7 harmful substances. The water did not contain benzene, cyanogen or hexavalent chromium.
September 30
toxic substances in excess of environmental standards.
It was the 8th in a series of surveys that began 2 years ago, following the completion of soil decontamination work at the site. It was the first test in which measurements exceeded limits.
The officials say that 2 of 3 groundwater samples collected near the market's fruit and vegetable building contained the chemical benzene.
One of them measured 1.1 times the environmental standard and the other 1.4 times.
Another sample contained arsenic measuring 1.9 times the standard.
In the previous 7 surveys, the substances measured below the standards.
..... The Tokyo government officials say the figures are preliminary and detailed analyses and opinions from experts are needed before taking action.
Professor Minoru Yoneda:
the groundwater is not for drinking and he does not believe it would pose a threat to human health. !!!!!
October 20 (nhk)
Groundwater unaffected by pumps at Toyosu site
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says a fully operational pumping system has so far had no effect on the groundwater level at the planned relocation site of Tsukiji food market.
... Previously, the government said a pumping system to control groundwater would resolve problems when it became fully operational. It said a layer of clean soil put down to deter contamination would dry out and water would stop accumulating.
The system became fully operational on Monday.
However, the government said that water remains in the layer of clean soil and is still pooling underground. ...
- - - - - air pollution in the underground open box spaces - - - - -
Sep 18
While traces of benzene are still in Toyosu’s air, its density level is within the safety limit, according to metropolitan government data.
Sep 26
Benzene has been found in the air . .. in low levels.
October 17 (Monday)
Mercury at 5 to 7 times the national air quality standard was found in air beneath the buildings.
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- - - - - one special building for the administration people
管理施設棟 kanri
(who will be sitting there all day . . .)
There is just one building in the complex built as planned above the morido.
With a pit for monitoring above the morido.
WHY ?
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- - - - - Money and the price of it all
original bid about 63 billion yen (628 million dollars) in November 2013.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's projected prices for construction contracts rose by 60 percent in the second round of tenders, from the failed first round.
Three joint venture groups headed by 3 major construction firms took part first, but all retracted their tenders.
- second round of bidding 3 months later, about 1.03 billion dollars.
The 3 groups each won a contract, at prices ranging from 99.7 to 99.9 percent of the revised projected prices.
Professor Hiroshi Arikawa of Nihon University:
if the Tokyo government had to change the prices following requests from construction firms, its system to calculate projected prices must also come under scrutiny.
In 2014, the decontamination (and morido) was completed at a cost of
85.8 billion Yen.
How much money was "saved" with the new plan and where is the money now?
How much will the restauration from the new reality to a safe market cost?
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Why do some of the piping hang high up under the ceiling?
Why are some pipings so low that no maschinery can drive around in these spaces?
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- - - -- The open hatchets to let down equipment -
If the buildings were safe, why the need to do this "just in case?"
Why are some hatches right beside the building (3 m x 6 m)
and at least one other further away, with a road above?
Is the whole ground from this hatchet to the building now open?
Are the hatchets connected to the buildings? with an open door?
Why do they have a slit of about 3 mm around, where rain water can get through?
If heavy equipment has to be dismanteled to get down,
what kind of equipment is there DOWN there to get them together again?
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- - - - - Earthquake
Since the original building was planned for 4 stories
is the new building with its underground space the same quake proof structure?
the revetment work carried out by the contractors wasn’t sufficient to stabilize the ground in the area, pointing out that parts of the Toyosu site liquefied during the March 2011 quake, bringing sand and stones to the surface.
October 27
Toyosu fish market structures are earthquake-proof: designer said.
(But we saw quite some wobbeling in the news elsewhere. . . and not all architects agreed to the assessment.)
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- - - - - Future plans since September 2016 - - - - -
What can be done to secure the place as it is now and
open the fish market at some point in the - far - future?
October 03
Talk about using the complex as a casino are growing.
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- reference : NHK World News -
- reference : Japan Times - (JT) -
- reference : ひるおび 豊洲 -
- general online reference -
豊洲市場の特徴 (Japanese HP of the project, it seems)
- reference source : shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/toyosu -
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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
. Doing Business in Edo - 商売 - Introduction .
. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
. senryu, senryū 川柳 Senryu poems in Edo .
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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]- - - - - #toyosufishmarket #toyosu #toyosumarket #koike #koikesayuri #tsukiji - - - -
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