Getting Fishy in the Tsukiji Fish Market 築地市場

Location: Tsukiji Fish Market 築地市場, Tokyo 東京, Japan (Nippon) 日本

The Tsukiji Fish Market is an absolute must see for anyone traveling through Tokyo. Tsukiji is home to the largest wholesale fish market in the world (don't believe me, check the wikipedia article here) and it's the perfect activity for those of us who are incapable of conquering jet-lag (no matter how hard we try) as people begin bustling in the market as early as 3 AM and the action continues much later into the late morning. 

I left my hostel for the market at about 5 AM, in hopes of making it in time for the Tuna auction which begins around 5:20 AM. I followed the directions my Google research had warranted and met a nice Australian family who was headed in the same direction so we walked together. Naturally, my judgment on how long it takes to get somewhere was incredibly skewed and we arrived at the market around 6:15.

The outer layer of the market is filled with commercial trucks and dollies. People are crating around large quantities of various fish intended for mass distribution. There were hundreds of people also with small personal crates on wheels and insulated baggies to presumably carry fish back for their own personal use or for small restaurants. I almost got hit by a couple different vehicles as these people are here doing their job and are not really interested in those of us walking around with a video camera plastered to our face. Walking inside the market did not help matters much at all.

I'm sure I saw a VERY small portion of the entire market. I never found the tuna auction, though I'm fairly certain it was completed before I arrived because I found row upon row of frozen marked tuna lying in the streets awaiting new owners to come claim them. I walked up an down the aisles mesmerized for about an hour (sort of forgot I was supposed to get on a plane a couple hours later) and took pictures and videos of everything from sardines to octopus, crabs, lobsters, puffer-fish, swordfish and even whale. Most of the fish were still alive and were displayed in buckets, aquariums and in styrofoam boxes filled with ice. I watched 300 pound tuna be sawed into pieces by large Japanese men. I saw live eels be sliced into pieces. I watched hundreds of fish head chopped right off their bodies. I stumbled upon a crate of live crabs which had already been prepped for cooking (including being dipped in oil and then breading). I watched a flailing octopus be murdered as a guy picked it up and stuck a knife right in it's head. Serious stuff people. This is not an activity for the faint of heart (or the vegetarian) as I'm not easily offended by animal killing/eating, but this was borderline too much for me.

After wandering through the aisles with the countless other tourists, the next stop was to try some sushi in one of the many sushi huts located less than 100 yards from the main market. These shops specialize in the freshest sushi possible and many of them will kill the fish right in front of you before you eat it. When it comes to eating sushi, it doesn't get more raw than that! However, I wasn't the only person with the grand idea, and the lines for the shops were 30-40 people long each. Unfortunately, I had a plane to catch and wasn't able to partake.

But I did steal a peek at one of the menus. Most of the ingredients were normal, but there was a plethora of oddities like whale shark, orca and sea cucumber. Most of the people there were tourists and the prices are a bit high, but I find it to be one of those things that may just be worth it. I talked to a girl who was eating a piece of sashimi whale, and I think she definitely agreed - though this isn't something for the everyday, it's definitely something that must be tried. Unfortunately, she said, she couldn't enjoy the whale because she couldn't stop picturing Free Willy jumping over the breakwater and right into her mouth. Yuck.

Logistics crap:
Take the Tokyo Metro Toei Ōedo (都営地下鉄大江戸線) Line (E) to stop 18 Tsukijishijō Station (築地市場駅) (Tokyo Metro Map - English)
Exit station, walk straight, fish market will be on your left.
Open Monday - Saturday 3AM-1PM Except some Wednesdays and Holidays
Check The Tsukiji Market Homepage for more up to date opening information

Want More information? Check out the following links:

• Tokyo/Chuo area on Wikitravel.org 
• Tsukiji Fish Market on Wikipedia.org 
• The Tsukiji Fish Market homepage (English) 
• The Tsukiji Fish Market - Japan-guide.com 

Check out all of my pictures from the Tsukiji Fish Market on Flickr

Ohayou gozaimasu! おはようございます。!

Location:Shinagawa 品川, Tokyo 東京, Japan (Nippon) 日本

Well, I almost missed my flight. I really need to get better about timing those things. We were supposed to leave the house at 6:15, and we didn’t leave until 6:45 – awesome. Flight left at 8 and unfortunately, it took us almost an hour to get to the airport. I ran into the counter, threw my bags on the belt and then jogged up to the (thankfully) empty security gate. Now, Japanese security is immensely easier to get through than American. I was allowed to bring food and beverages onboard, just not metal objects, and my shoes, watch, falling whistle and cell phone remained on my body as I passed through the metal detector. The process is reminiscent of pre-9/11 protocol and was gratefully accepted in my frantic dash for my departing flight. Due to the quick process, I actually made it to my gate just as they began boarding, strolled right on the flight and sat down in my seat with plenty of time to spare. Easy flight to Tokyo, the only notable part is that this is my first flight in a double-decker plane (a 747-400); though I am not in the top deck… sad panda.

The flight was quick and laden with Japanese business executives flying up, I presume, for the day's work. I arrived in Tokyo early and grateful to be in the correct city at the correct time. I hadn't signed up to check into my hostel until later, but decided to go ahead and drop my bag off quick. I ran into some girls from Oregon who gave me some suggestions on where to go and what to see and I set off. First step, conquering the Tokyo subway system.

Holy. Shit. The map, the station, the machines - it was all intimidating. Take a look at the map here. With 282 stations, most not marked in English and definitely not clearly outlined, the Tokyo train system is something to be marveled at. It honestly isn't as daunting as the NY subway system the first time you ride, but the language barrier is a huge factor. Some of the maps have limited English (i.e. larger stations have the English name under the Japanese characters) but most do not. What I ended up having to do was google how to translate certain words from English to Japanese and putting them in my phone as a static notebook entry so I could access them while I was mobile. It actually turned out to work quite well and I started to recognize certain characters fairly easily. My first goal was to make it from my hostel in Shinagawa 品川 to Shiodome 汐留 to walk down the water in Tokyo Bay. It was a beautiful clear day today, and I had great visibility of the Tokyo Tower, the whole bay, the Rainbow Bridge and everything else on the way. I had no preconception of what to expect in Tokyo, so I didn't have much of an agenda other than to see some more of the real Japan. I realized this wasn't going to happen downtown among the skyscrapers (as you could have picked me up and put me in Manhattan without much notice). So after I strolled along the water, I vowed to see more of the real culture and headed to Ueno 上野 and the Ameyoko shopping street nearby.

Ameyoko was exactly what I was looking for.  I spent about an hour and a half walking slowly down the shop streets lined with markets selling anything from Prada purses to live prawns.  I grabbed some fresh pineapple from a stand and some candied nuts and enjoyed the slow processional through the market.  From here I walked a short way up to the Ueno Park 上野公園 where I was promised some impressive temples and shrines and also a bit of quiet compared to the loud busy streets of Ameyoko.

The park was great.  There were some interesting sites, the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which is sort of an eternal flame originally lighted by combining flames from the original bomb sites.  It's a sort of homage to those who have died as well as a protest against nuclear weapons and their potential destruction of humanity.  I also took a stop at an old Buddha statue and the Toshogu Shrine before heading back to wander around Shinagawa until just after dark.  I've decided to call it an evening early tonight as I want to wake up at 5 AM and head to the Tsujiki Fish Market in the morning before I have to head to the airport to catch my flight.  This is the only thing that has been recommended to me to visit as it's the largest fish market in the world.  Kind of excited but hoping I don't get too fishy as I'm sure my neighbor on the plane won't appreciate that too much :)

XOXO