Fire Breaks Out at Tokyo’s Famed Tsukiji Fish Market

A fire broke out today at the Tsukiji fish market, the world’s largest fish market, in Tokyo. The blaze erupted around 5 p.m. local time and brought nearly four dozen fire trucks to the site in Ginza, Reuters reports.

Per Reuters, the fire was contained to the outer market, which is home to vendor stalls and restaurants; the inner market, where wholesalers do business and the famed tuna auctions take place, was not affected. No injuries have been reported and the full extent of the damage is not yet known.

More than 700 million tons of seafood passes through Tsukiji annually. The 80-year-old market is one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, drawing scores of visitors each year who come hoping to catch a glimpse of the early-morning fish auctions.

The market has recently been caught up in major controversy related to its proposed relocation: Last November, the wholesale portion of Tsukiji was supposed to move to a newly constructed space in Toyosu so its current site could be used for the 2020 Olympics, but high levels of toxins were found in the soil beneath the new site and the move has been delayed; the relocation is now estimated for May 2018.

• Tokyo Firefighters Battle Blaze at World’s Biggest Fish Market [Reuters]
• Don’t Eat Sushi at Tsukiji Market [E]