Going to Japan's largest aquatic product wholesale market, the Tsukiji Market, to watch the auction of tuna and taste the freshest sushi has become an indispensable part of the travel itinerary. Especially, before it moved. However, in the latest survey, the groundwater in the new site of the Tsukiji market detected high concentrations of toxic substances in the groundwater, which again cast a shadow over the delayed implementation of several delays.

According to the results of the 9th groundwater inspection announced on the 14th, 72 of the 201 inspection points in the Toyosu market exceeded the standard, and the benzene content detected by 35 severely exceeded areas was 79 times of the normal value. Arsenic and cyanide were detected in several locations. What is even more surprising is that in the previous 8 groundwater sampling tests conducted in Tokyo, this result has never occurred. The only time the standard exceeded the standard is only 1.9 times the normal value.

"I was surprised by the expected value. We asked the experts to discuss it first, and then decided to move the schedule according to the results," said Tokyo Governor Koji Yuriko on the 14th.

Due to aging equipment and inconvenient transportation in the Tsukiji market, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to relocate it to the Toyo Market in Koto City a few years ago. The Toyo Market is the site of the Tokyo Gas Plant. Many people pointed out that the harmful substances such as benzene, arsenic and cyanide produced in the process of producing coal from coal have penetrated into the soil, posing a safety hazard. In view of this, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government dug up the “contaminated soil” two meters below the surface and filled it with clean soil. After the completion of the earth-removal project, Tokyo decided to monitor the groundwater quality in the Toyosu market in nine years from November 2014. The data released on the 14th came from the last test.

The high number of sudden detections made the experts feel puzzled. Some people have already questioned the existence of data fraud. According to the "Daily News" report, the 9th test selected a different survey company than the previous 8 times, and different sampling methods may lead to differences in results. In addition, there are opinions that the opening of the groundwater management system in the Toyosu market may cause changes in groundwater level and soil pressure, which in turn leads to an increase in the concentration of harmful substances in groundwater.

Due to concerns about pollution in the Toyosu market, the relocation plan of the Tsukiji market has been delayed several times. According to the latest schedule, if the Toyosu market is safe and pollution-free, the Tsukiji market will be relocated from the end of this year to the beginning of next year. However, the latest test results have forced Tokyo to investigate again and the relocation schedule will be postponed again.

The construction and decontamination of the Toyosu market has cost 600 billion yen (about 36.2 billion yuan) in Tokyo, and now the maintenance of management costs in the Toyosu market will cost at least millions of yen. Due to delays in moving, the subsidies paid by the government to the water industry owners who bought their homes in the new site have also grown like snowballs.

The "Daily News" said that if the investigation again could not confirm the safety of the Toyo market, it would not be impossible to suspend the relocation plan. However, the Tsukiji market is seriously aging, and the cost of renovation is high. The construction of the “Ring No. 2 Highway” (used to link the Tokyo Olympic Village and the city center), which was originally planned to be moved after the Tsukiji market, will also be affected.