Toyosu - The Ever-Evolving City

Today, we visit the Tokyo Bay area.

One particularly dynamic and evolving part of the bay is Toyosu.

The secret of how this area came to be is in this drawing from 90 years ago.

It looks just like a picture.

All the high-rise buildings.

Toyosu is also home to one of the top fish markets in the world.

Try this.

It's super heavy.

You need muscles.

With many offices and high-rise apartments, Toyosu is one of the most developed areas of Tokyo.

We'll take a close look at Tokyo's ever-evolving bay area and find out how Toyosu flourished.

Toyosu is located in the south of Tokyo.

It's in the middle of the city's dynamic bay area.

Hello, my name is Nora.

I've lived in Tokyo for seven years.

I've been to Toyosu a couple of times because I really like the seaside.

Today I'm excited to learn more about its history.

Let's go!

Nora is a graduate student studying sociology.

She also does work as a videographer.

Our journey begins at Shimbashi Station.

Nora boards the Yurikamome.

It's an automated guideway transit system with no drivers.

It runs for about 15 kilometers from Shimbashi Station to the terminal in Toyosu, passing through the bay area.

I see a large bridge.

The Rainbow Bridge passing over Tokyo Bay has come into view.

If we cross that bridge, we'll be in the bay area which is relatively new part Tokyo.

Nora has arrived in Tokyo's bay area.

This was the Olympics venue for tennis.

The area served as a major venue for the Tokyo Olympics.

After crossing a waterway, we arrive at the final stop, Toyosu.

It feels very modern, you can see all of these high-rise buildings.

The ride across the bay area took 30 minutes.

We've arrived at the terminal.

Nora heads right for the waterfront.

Across the canal lies the main Tokyo city center.

Behind me that's the main Toyosu main area.

This area is characterized by high-rise apartments and office buildings.

And you can feel a nice sea breeze coming in.

The waterfront offers a great view of the bay.

Our first stop after a 20 minute walk from Toyosu Station is one of the largest fish markets in the world.

This fish market used to be in a location near Ginza.

But due to its aging facilities, that location was closed in 2018.

It was decided that the new market would be located in Toyosu, 2 kilometers south of the old spot.

We visit some wholesale shops that you can only enter with special permission.

This world class fish market has nearly 500 shops selling 600 varieties of seafood.

Sales in one day exceeds 7 million US dollars.

Where does the fish come from?

Fish from all over the country
comes to Toyosu.

This is amazing.

It's sea pineapple from Miyagi.

Almost looks like a heart.

It does.

All kinds of seafood line the stalls.

Sushi chefs and other Tokyo food professionals come for ingredients.

This shop specializes in fresh tuna.

Where was this caught?

From Tsugaru Strait,
between Hokkaido and Aomori.

It's so big.

It looks big but it's actually
on the smaller side.

This giant knife, almost like a sword, is used to cut the tuna.

Cutting through with one clean stroke helps the fish stay fresh for longer.

He is showing me the special maguro knife.

It's heavy.

I don't want to play too much, because it looks very sharp.

But it's super heavy.

The market has a retail area too.

If you are into Japanese knives, this is probably the place to go to.

This shop makes knives for chefs and suppliers.

They have knives for every size of fish and each preparation method.

On the shop sign over here, it says Ansei Gannen which is really long time ago.

What kind of store is this?

The shop was founded 167 years ago.
We're a seaweed wholesaler.

400 years ago, the first fish market was established in Nihonbashi, the center of Tokyo.

The seaweed shop started there.

Since then, it's moved with the times to Tsukiji and now, Toyosu.

This is a special grade of seaweed: the first crop.

Thank you.

It hasn't been seasoned, right?

That's the natural flavor.

The aroma of the sea really pops from it.

It's rich, isn't it?

The market in Toyosu has been open since 2018.

Its presence is helping to energize the area.

The population of Toyosu, with all the offices and high-rises, has increased nearly 3 times in 15 years.

How did this rapidly growing area come to be?

We have an appointment with someone to find out more.

This is Professor Shimura Hideaki.

He knows a lot about the history of the bay area.

Please have a look at this drawing.

What does it look like to you?

It looks like a modern city.

This was drawn 90 years ago.

90 years ago.

Greenery along the waterfront, and many tall buildings.

It almost seems to depict the current Toyosu.

The story behind the area's development is in this picture.

We're at a canal to the south of Toyosu.

We've been walking for a while now.

Have a look around.
Is there anything that stands out?

Do you mean that long narrow island over there?

Indeed. There is an island there.

Long, thin islands with dense vegetation continue for 3.5 kilometers.

They are closely related to the beginnings of Toyosu.

That island was a seawall,
made when Tokyo's port was new.

It protected the port against high waves.

That's why it's so long.

At the start of the 20th century, Tokyo had no port that could accommodate large ships.

Vessels from foreign countries all had to dock at the Port of Yokohama, west of Tokyo.

But as the city developed, plans were made to create a port for Tokyo itself.

The water here had to be made deeper
or else boats couldn't come in.

The sea floor was dug up
and land was reclaimed.

That formed the basis for Toyosu
and the current bay area.

This is a map of the bay area from around the year 1900.

In the 1930s, the eastern section of Toyosu was created.

Toyosu was a plot of reclaimed land that emerged 90 years ago, alongside developing Port of Tokyo.

But sensei, how is the picture related to the land fill?

So this picture actually shows
a big national project.

So this was not a vision of the future.

This is supposed to be the World Expo.

There was a plan for Japan's first World Expo to be held in Toyosu and its surrounding area in 1940.

The idea was to use the Expo as a chance to route gas, electricity, a subway, and other utilities to the reclaimed land all at once.

This was drawn for the Expo.

But the idea was to create
a cutting-edge city around 1940.

However, the plan never came to fruition.

Because of the Second Sino-Japanese War the Expo was put on hold in 1938.

And then World War Ⅱ cancelled plans completely.

Still, just compare the picture
with what you see now.

That's amazing. It's exactly the same.

If you look, you have the bridge over here, and then all the high-rise buildings.

And the tower over there.

The Skytree.

How was he able to predict the Skytree?

The Expo was supposed to turn Toyosu into the symbol of a cosmopolitan Tokyo.

90 years later, that dream of a futuristic city has become reality.

After the plans for the Expo were called off, what sorts of changes did Toyosu experience?

Nora heads toward the office buildings to find out.

There is lots of green, and also open public spaces.

And all the buildings look really new.

It must feel nice to work here.

I'm not quite sure what to do with this.

I guess It works as a bench.

But it looks like it used to be a part of something else.

And a little further down...

Do you see this, there is even a big anchor here.

Another strange object appears.

Similar objects can be found all over.

It's quite comfortable.

And just what are these?

Back at the waterfront...

Is that a crane?

There's a large crane set up.

What do all these mysterious objects have in common?

It's actually all part of Toyosu's history.

There's a company in the area that ties all these objects together.

This picture was painted 90 years ago.

But it looks just like current Toyosu.

Can you tell me why that is?

This picture will answer your questions.

About 20 years ago, this area was actually
a shipbuilding facility.

See that crane?

This was a dock where new ships
were put onto the water.

This whole area was a shipyard.

In 1939, after the Expo was called off, Toyosu became a shipyard.

The facilities covered almost half of Toyosu.

During World War Ⅱ, warships were produced, while after the war large cargo boats and cruise ships were made-nearly 700 vessels in total.

In 2002, the shipyard was closed after plan was put in place to build a new bridge in Toyosu.

The crane is just for show now.

The objects are relics from when Toyosu was a shipyard.

The western section of Toyosu was reclaimed in 1950, after World War Ⅱ.

There's another important piece of Toyosu history there.

We board a boat from the old shipbuilding dock to find out more.

Toyosu Pier is on the right.

This pier supplied energy after the war.

It supported Japan's economic miracle.

A large part of the Port of Tokyo was controlled by the U.S. occupying forces after the war.

To promote recovery after the war, there was need for more capacity to load cargo.

The Japanese government built a new pier on the west part of Toyosu.

Coal and steel storage was established.

And then a gas plant and a power plant.

Toyosu moved from shipbuilding to the energy sector, offering key support to Japan's economic development.

If it wasn't for Toyosu, Japan's economic miracle might not have occurred.

In one corner of Toyosu, the old town still survives.

After going down a narrow street.

It feels very nostalgic.

These low-rise apartments are public housing.

It's Toyosu's oldest residential area.

In 1947, the government built wooden residences for people who lost their homes during the war.

A small house?

So far, I've only seen high-rise buildings.

This rice shop is 70 years old, Sugaya Mitsuo and his wife are the second-generation owners.

Can you tell me a little bit more about the history of this area?

First, the public housing was built.

Many employees of the shipyard
and the city came to live here.

Then came the butchers, greengrocers,
fish stores, and general stores.

But back then, Toyosu was considered to be rural, far from the busy city center.

In 1988, the subway connected to Toyosu, and the residential area began to develop.

That same year, the gas plant shut down.

In the 2000s, the power plant and the shipyard also closed.

In their place, many office buildings and high-rise condos went up.

Over about 15 years, Toyosu transformed into its current urban form.

The area changed a lot
after the subway was built.

Housing keeps popping up.
Lots of people moving here.

Toyosu has evolved from an industrial area to an urban center.

The old shopping area is still around.

There's a movement here to launch a new local product.

This is Watanabe Tetsuzo, chair of the shopping district.

There's something interesting
on the roof.

Come take a look.

So there is something interesting up there.

It's a bit hot today.
Good weather.

Can you see it?

I see it!

There are a lot of bees here.

They're raising bees on the roof.

There are between
15 and 20 thousand in here.

20 thousand?!

Where are they getting all the pollen from to produce honey?

The bees fly 2 or 3 km away.

They go out far and get nectar
from flowers.

Wanting to create a local product that residents could be proud of, volunteers started this bee farm in 2014.

Now they're able to harvest nearly 100 kilograms of honey each year.

It's sold at stores in the shopping area.

This is fresh honey from today.

It's very good.

Almost tastes herbal.

It tastes like sakura in early spring.

With all of these high-rise buildings, and these new buildings, what is the importance of this old shopping district?

New residents make up 80 percent
of Toyosu.

Those that have been here
50 or 60 years are 10 to 20 percent.

I want to bring us together...

...and create a fun town
that you want to stay in.

We have to strive towards this.

Where do those city bees go to get their nectar from?

We've come to a park in a redeveloped area.

I found a bee over there.

Nora's spotted a bee hovering around the lavender.

This is a community garden run by locals.

There are currently 8 of these gardens that residents both new and old tend to.

What makes community garden especially important for Toyosu?

Nature, gardening, and having plants
around the homes are all important.

It connects the new and old residents.

Elementary children getting off school
often ask if they can help.

I think it's vital to have this nature
to foster curiosity in the children.

Toyosu was born alongside the Port of Tokyo.

What was once an industrial area is now a modern urban center.

It's the start of another chapter for Toyosu.

90 years later, this vision of a utopia has finally become true.

However, our definition of happiness and our values have changed drastically over time.

Now, not only high-rise buildings are important.

The people of Toyosu are working hard to create communities and to live in harmony with nature.

In this way this futuristic city is teaching us a lot about what true utopia would look like.