TOKYO — MGM Resorts International has scouted the world’s biggest fish market as a potential site for the casino resort it wants to build in Japan, according to two people familiar with the company’s plans.
Chief executive James Murren visited Tsukiji market in March to survey the sprawling warren of fish stalls on about 57 acres that the city may sell after the vendors relocate, the people said.
The market draws about 42,000 visitors daily. Many come to see morning auctions at which $4.1 billion worth of seafood, including some of the world’s most expensive tuna, is sold each year. The eating stalls around the nearly 80-year-old covered market are popular places to enjoy sushi breakfasts.
The site, one of the largest ever offered for redevelopment in Japan’s capital, is near a luxury shopping enclave, Ginza. It would be an alternative to the Odaiba district, which is seen as the top contender for a gaming resort. Land costs would be higher, but Tsukiji promises greater visitor numbers due to its accessibility by public transit and its proximity to other tourist destinations, said Jay Defibaugh, an analyst with CLSA.
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