Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market
The Tsukiji Seafood Market is
Aside from the sheer volume of the seafood, what was the most impressive was the tourist experience. The overwhelming feeling from the moment you arrive in the market is that you are not supposed to be there. It is a place of very high volumes of business and as a tourist, you are quite simply in the way. I was reminded of this fact by being pushed aside by at least one wholesaler who was clearly tired of dealing with tourists in the market. It was like sailing a catamaran into the shipping lanes of a busy port- you clearly have no business there and you must proceed at your own risk.
I have feeling that tourist access to the market will be limited in the future as it has for the seafood auction. The market is moving locations soon and my bet is that the tourist experience will change with location.
Despite being in the way, we proceeded into the bowels of the market and it was an experience I will never forget. I’ve never seen so many tuna and in such huge sizes.
As our friend Gen described, the fish make an interesting journey to your plate. At the auction, the fish is sold in huge volumes and as the food makes it's way out of the market and changes hands, it takes on smaller sizes and higher prices.
For the toursits, the end of chain ends just outside the market where many restaurants serve the freshest and tastiest sushi ever for breakfast. We had the best sushi of our lives for breakfast today including multiple servings of Toro, or fatty tuna which is the filet mingnon of sushi. Simply delictlible.
On balance, the seafood market has some sobering elements. The word on the street is that the seas are being over-fished and the sizes of the tuna have been trending smaller and smaller. Also, I don't think I've ever seen so much styrofoam, which is resused from what we could see.
No matter, the Tsukiji Market is not to be missed on a trip to Tokyo, just be prepared to wake up at 5am to see the action.
Come on Lee! We use more styros than that at wholesale. ; )
You may have not eaten a goldfish but we fed a lot of them to Domino before he promptly went back home and yacked them up on the floor at you brothers house.