Former Tsukiji market site facelift to feature stadium, ports for flying cars

A proposal selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for the redevelopment of the site of the former Tsukiji market includes the construction of a 50,000-capacity stadium and the development of the site as a next-generation transportation hub with ports for flying cars. 

(Artist's rendition in a press release from Mitsui Fudosan Co. shows the redeveloped site of the former Tsukiji market.)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Friday announced that it had selected a proposal for the redevelopment of the former site of the much-loved fish market from a consortium led by Mitsui Fudosan Co.

Covering a huge 18.7-hectare plot of land in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, the proposed redevelopment will see the creation of one of the largest open spaces in the capital with a focus on the themes of “wellness innovation,” “food, experience and excitement,” and “guest hospitality,” according to a Mitsui Fudosan press release.  

The redevelopment has been slated for completion in the 2030s at a cost of around 900 billion yen. 

At the center of the redevelopment will be the construction of a multi-purpose indoor stadium with a capacity of around 50,000 which the developers anticipate will host sporting competition including rugby, baseball, and soccer, as well as live music concerts and plays, among other events.  

Among the stadium’s guest services and VIP rooms it will also offer one of the largest lounges in Japan, according to the developers. 

Based on the theme of “shared emotional experience” developers say the stadium will include permanent wheelchair seating, audio and text information services for the visually and hearing impaired, and sensory and cool-down rooms. 

Along with the stadium, the Tsukiji redevelopment will include a total of nine major buildings and facilities including a life science and commercial complex, a hotel and residential building, and a theater hall.  

(Artist's rendition in a press release from Mitsui Fudosan Co. shows the redeveloped site of the former Tsukiji market as a transportation hub combining land, sea and air.)

Developers have proposed that the site will become a next-generation transportation hub combining land, sea and air which will include ports to facilitate the practical application of flying cars and a terminal for next-generation mobility vehicles including buses and taxis. Taking advantage of its waterfront location on the banks of the Sumida River, the redevelopment will serve as a base for a network of sightseeing and commuter boats.

The proposed redevelopment also aims to achieve carbon neutrality through the use of environmental technologies including hydrogen stations and biogas power generation, as well as the greening of the site with green spaces covering around 40 percent of the area.

The popular but aging Tsukiji fish market opened for its last day of business on October 6, 2018 before operations were moved to a new facility in Toyosu. The Tsukiji Outer Market - a collection of wholesale and retail stores, and restaurants - remains in its original location next to the vacant plot of land left behind after the removal of the market. 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government began soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the former Tsukiji fish market site in November 2022 under the concept of "a base for creating and disseminating new culture by welcoming and interacting with diverse people from around the world, surrounded by water and greenery."