New Commercial Complex in Toyosu Bustling with Tourists and Families; Operator Expects 2.6 Million Visitors Per Year

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:07 JST, February 3, 2024

A new commercial complex that opened Thursday in the outer area of Toyosu Market in Koto Ward has been bustling with tourists and families as Tokyo’s new tourist spot.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held the same day to commemorate the opening of Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai. “I look forward to seeing Toyosu Market and the outer area united to create an even more lively atmosphere,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said.

Visitors flocked to the market when it opened at 10 a.m. that day, enjoying kushiyaki skewers, sweets and other food, and taking a free footbath while overlooking Tokyo Bay.

The complex is divided into two main buildings. The commercial complex named Edomae market was transformed into the style of a town based on the Edo period. The Edomae market is expected to gradually open a total of 63 stores, including restaurants serving fresh fish from the market, by mid-April. Another facility, Tokyo Toyosu Manyo Club, has a bathhouse that is open 24 hours a day.

Initially, Senkyaku Banrai was planned to open at the same time as the 2018 opening of the Toyosu Market. However, the opening was delayed due to the withdrawal of the operator and the postponement of the relocation of the “jonai” inner market of Tsukiji Market from Chuo Ward, Tokyo. Its operator Manyo Club Co., headquartered in Kanagawa Prefecture, expects 2.6 million visitors per year, the same as Tokyo Tower. However, its nearest station is Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, which is not conveniently located from the city center.

Consequently, in April last year, the Tokyo metropolitan government added a route running around the Toyosu Market to the Tokyo BRT, a bus rapid transit system connecting the city center and the waterfront area.

Manyo Club also plans to focus on accommodating tourist groups from overseas in cooperation with HIS Co. a major travel agency and established a parking lot with space for 27 large buses at the facility.

“We aim to create a facility that will be loved not only by tourists, but also by local residents for many years to come,” Manyo Club President Osamu Takahashi said.

Tsukiji still popular

Even after the relocation of the inner market to Toyosu in 2018, the Tsukiji “jogai” outer market is still busy with many tourists.

There are about 460 stores currently operating in the area, according to the Tsukiji Outer Market Shopping District Promotion Association. The number of stores has not changed significantly in the five years since the market was relocated. Some stores closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but new stores soon followed, it said.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of restaurants catering to tourists in addition to specialty stores for foodstuffs and other items.

The site where the Tsukiji inner market was located will be transformed into a center for the creation and dissemination of culture. The Tokyo metropolitan government is currently conducting a screening process to select a redevelopment project operator.