A Contamination Scare Is Causing Big Problems for Japan's Most Famous Fish Market

In the midst of a culture defined by politeness, one gritty Japanese market filled with flying fish and dizzying rows of vendors has long stood out. At Japan's legendary Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest and most iconic of its kind in the world, 1,900 tons of seafood is sold each year to a hungry throng seeking the freshest possible uni and Bluefin tuna that yen can buy. But now, unexpected delays in an already maligned revamping plan has left customers and vendors alike concerned.

Though Tsukiji has been a local staple since 1935, supplying many of Japan's shops and restaurants with their seafood, in recent years the bustling market has also become a popular stop for tourists longing to catch a glimpse of the authentic Japanese market experience. Though the space's famously worn-in, ramshackle feel wasn't minded by the market's producers and patrons, an uptick in tourism recently drove the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs to resolve to move the market to a more clean, modern, and photogenic location—just in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.

This shinier new home, though considered by many to be lacking the current spot's authenticity and spirit, was also designed with the intent to convey a higher level of sanitation, as Tsukiji's sales took a serious hit following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, which raised concerns about the threat of radioactivity in the fish supply.

But recently, organizers of the upgraded location, located just two miles away on a 100-acre site in Toyosu, announced that some major issues with the $6 billion structure could delay the opening of the new market significantly—and perhaps forever. Though originally slated to open on November 7, Tokyo's new governor, Yuriko Koike, has put the project on hold indefinitely, The Washington Post reports.

The postponement came following the discovery of water accumulating in pockets under five of the structure's buildings, all of which were supposed to be filled with a contamination-thwarting, 15-foot layer of soil that was apparently never laid. A team of scientists will be testing the water to determine if it is potentially polluted groundwater, which would up the risk of contamination at the site.

"The only way that we get information is through media reports, and we keep hearing about all that carcinogens at the new site," Kiyoshiro Sugama, who has sold at the market for nearly 40 years, told The Washington Post. "I'm really worried. We can't sell food at a place that's polluted."

Plans to open the market will be stalled until the sanitation of the new site is ensured—but recent groundwater tests identifying arsenic, benzene, and other chemicals haven't been promising. Though the government has already spent $830 million on soil decontamination to the top-level dirt, Koike himself hasn't ruled out the possibility of shelving the project altogether and opting to renovate Tsukiji's current home instead.

The one upside? For fish enthusiasts longing to get the authentic market experience before the move, this might mean a few extra months—or even years—to book that flight.