In Tsukiji Makeover, Developers Aim to Create New Tokyo Landmark; Roof of Multi-use Stadium to Feature Solar Panels, Greenery

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:50 JST, May 2, 2024

Companies in charge of redeveloping a 19-hectare lot at the former site of the Tsukiji Market vowed Wednesday the area would become a new international hub for Tokyo.

The project is guided by a philosophy of “One Park X One Town” and will create a waterfront space integrated with the Sumida River and the Hama-rikyu Gardens, as well as link with other nearby sites including the Tsukiji Outside Market, according to Mitsui Fudosan President Takashi Ueda, who spoke at a press conference held by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Toyota Fudosan Co. and The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings on the day.

“We want to make Tokyo more internationally competitive, a city that is loved by its residents and that attracts people from all over the world,” Ueda said.

The project site will see nine new buildings, including a conference hall, a hotel and an office, and provide excitement and social connection centered on a multi-use stadium that can hold 50,000. The project also aims for technological innovation in the life sciences and to share Japanese food culture.

The all-weather stadium features a field of artificial turf that is “changeable” and “multi-functional,” as the field’s shape can be changed depending on the event.“[The stadium] will be transformed into the optimal space for each match or live performance, giving the audience a real sense of being there,” said Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings President Toshikazu Yamaguchi. “We want to create a facility that is known internationally.”

Yamaguchi also shared a plan for the stadium to host international baseball games between Asian teams, as well as U.S. Major League Baseball games.

The stadium’s large roof will be covered with solar panels and greenery, and the building will catch the wind from the sea. The south side overlooking the Sumida River will be faced entirely with glass to create a sense of openness and unity with the waterfront. There will also be 50 VIP rooms and a 7,000-square-meter lounge space equipped with many wheelchair-accessible seats.

A promotional facility will open in fiscal 2026 prior to the opening of most other facilities, including the stadium, in the early 2030s.