The Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market is a very busy place of business with narrow passageways and a lot of fast moving traffic on foot, on bicycle, via pull carts, and even small forklifts that whiz by precariously close to whoever and whatever is nearby.

We arrived just after 5AM to find the market full of people but not yet the hustle and bustle that would follow the tuna auction itself.  Not sure where exactly the tuna auction was held, we headed through the grid of pathways that cover the market.  The tuna auction itself is held in a warehouse structure where flash frozen tuna are laid out on wooden palates for inspection and later auction.

Each tuna is marked with a Japanese character (hiragana, I believe) in red paint, the tail is removed and a deep slice is cut just above the tail area so that prospective buyers can inspect the tuna before the bidding begins.

Buyers use gaffs to extract a plugs of the tuna meat from the tail and manipulate it in their hands until it has thawed – presumably to test the texture of the meat and asses its fat content prior to making a bid.

The auction itself is a loud affair that is quickly over with the auctioneer chanting, waving his arms and recording sales on a clipboard (pictured top right).  It’s hard for the casual observer to follow it all it happens to fast!

After the auction, the freshly auction tuna are quickly taken by pull cart out of the auction and into the narrow pathways of the market just outside for cutting and distribution to your favorite Tokyo sushi restaurant later in the day.

Tourists can view the tuna auction and the lead up to it from a long roped off area that spans the width of the warehouse.  Visitors are asked to stay for a maximum of 15 minutes and flash photography is not permitted.

I spent a lot of my time in the market literally on my toes against the styrofoam containers that line the markets narrow thoroughfares.  A visit the the market is not for the feint of heart, the physically challenged (those requiring canes, walkers & wheelchairs especially), or small children.

If you are planning to visit please take some time to read Is Tsukiji Wholesale Market Open to the Public? where Etsuko from Tokyofoodcast talks about the rules for visitors and the dilemma facing the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with respect to market access.

Am I glad I visited?  Yes, but with some reservations.  It really is hard to stay out of the way of the people who work at the market and it is quite a dangerous place to navigate even if you are quick on your feet.

Should a visit to the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market be on your list of things to see in Tokyo?  You need to decide for yourself but if you do go please remember that it is a place of business and be respectful of the fact that it is not a traditional “tourist attraction” that is set up for visitors.

Will I visit again?  I will not likely go to see the tuna auction again and but would enjoy another early morning visit to the shopping are that is located just outside the gates of the market itself.  Be sure to check out my report on the Tsukiji Morning Market that includes a slide show of the images from my visit to the area.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

Many modern shotengai (shopping streets) are pleasant enough. Wide brick or marble streets that are often covered, with stores lining each side that are protected from the elements but lack charm and personality.  Not so in Nippori!

Take the west exit from Nippori Station and wander along until you reach Yuyake Dandan (pictured top right), the sunset stairway, and pause at the top to gaze down upon the narrow shotengai.

As you wander down the steps you will find a sembe (Japanese rice cracker) shop on your right and further down, a tea shop on the left.  Both offer visitors a wide selection and even free samples of their tasty treats!   Shops selling items that would make great souvenirs are scattered along three busy blocks that make up the Nippori shopping street as are a number of small restaurants serving sushi, curry and other Japanese foods.

We nibbled on a yaki-onigiri, a grilled rice ball basted with soy sauce, to quell our hunger before stopping at an udon shop for lunch.  The shop was guarded by an obaasan (grandmother) who seemed relish her role but she didn’t deter us and was quite welcoming as we approached.

The restaurant was tiny, with a maximum capacity of approximately fifteen people, and an open kitchen.  As we sat tentatively down, the chef approached us and asked us what we wanted – no English and no menu.  We politely pointed at the dish of another patron and he was off making a version of undo that I gleaned was the restaurants specialty – lettuce udon!   I was a little wary but it turned out to be quite good and the lettuce added freshness and a bright flavor to the broth.

But enough about me & food already!  The food was good but the highlight of the area for me was the overall atmosphere and the images that adorned the facades of the buildings.  The simple, graphic black & white images had me looking up and smiling with pleasure at every pause and are presented in the video below.

One could spend a whole day in the Nippori area wandering about this older part of Tokyo that for me offers a more relaxed and less commercial feel than that of Ueno or Asakusa.  I highly recommend a visit!

Nippori Access and Walking Map

The Nippori Station in Tokyo can be accessed via the Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, or Joban Line.  Download the Arakawa City Nippori Walking Map (front & back – both are PDF files) and look for Yuyake Dandan (#4 beside the Bunkyo City legend on the map) to visit the Nippori Shopping Street.

Image & Video Credit:  Personal Collection

Japan’s local fish market vendors also have more time to chat with customers. Some markets even offer more than just sushi: how about oysters on the shell to try right on the spot,  little food stalls where they offer rice and soup to enjoy with tuna or uni you’ve just purchased in the market, or a fish store offering fresh squid sashimi that comes right out of the tank?

So, if you visit a new town in Japan, ask if there’s any local fish market open to public.

Here are just a few of the local fish markets that you might consider visiting on your travels through Japan:

Shiogama Wholesale Fish Market

Located in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecturem the Shiogama Wholesale Fish Market is approximately 30 minutes by train from Sendai in Japan’s Tohoku Region.

This market is open to both professionals and the public. If you are traveling, it is best to go after 9:00 am when the real business is over. You will see fresh honmaguro tuna from Oma, anago eels, and lots of items in season such as hoya or sea squirt, noresore or baby anago, oysters, sea urchin and more. Just like Tsukiji, you can watch the guys with a big knife performing a tuna cutting ritual.
There is a tiny restaurant in the corner of the market where they offer rice and miso soup for around 300 yen. You can enjoy whatever you purchased in the market with the set. Make your own big uni don or kaisen donburi!

Hours: 3:00 am 1:00 pm Sundays 6:00 am to 2:00 pm

Location: 1-20-74 Shinhama Cho, Shiogama, Miyagi

Access: 15 minutes walk from the JR Shiogama station or 5 minutes by taxi

See more images from the Shiogama Fish Market on Flickr.

Nakaminato Fish Market

The Nakaminato Fish Market in Nakaminato, Ibaraki is approximately 30 minutes by JR and local train from Mito, Ibaraki in the Kanto region of Japan.

This market beats Tokyo Disneyland! It is a giant seafood amusement park where you find everything related to seafood and where everyone at all ages can have fun.

The train ride to Nakaminato is something not to miss. Picture a single car old train railing along the rice paddies without any homes in site. When you arrive at this gigantic market by the sea, you will find all kinds of places and things to eat with one specific category – all seafood. You will find lots of sushi and seafood restaurants to choose from after shopping for fish, but stalls in the market offers shucked oysters on the spot, uni lump with soy flavor BBQed on the shell or BBQ shrimps. They even have a DIY BBQ grill in the middle of the crowded market. In addition to fresh seafood, you spot all kinds of dried fish being made – including the whole process from the cleaning part, dipping in sauce part, skewering, or the final drying part. Finally, you find all kinds of seafood such as fish famous as winter delicacy, anko, big local clams, and crabs.

Hours: 7:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: 21 Minato Motomachi, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki

Access: From JR Katsuda, take a single car local train, Hitachi-Naka Kaihin Tetsudo that runs twice an hour to Nakaminato Station. About 10 minutes walk from the train station.

See more images of the Nakaminato Fish Market on Flickr.

Fish Market & Auction in Kochi

The Local fish market auction in Kami-no-kae, Kochi is in the middle of nowhere in Kochi between Kochi City and Shimanto Nakamura in Japan’s Shikoku Region.

Participate in the program offered by Kami-no-kae Fishing Co-op where you can learn from the local fishermen how to tie ropes, fish using rock weights tied to the rope, and row an old style fishing boat. See how you can sign up for such experience.  In the afternoon, watch local guys bring in the fish and auction it off to a dozen local restaurants and shops in matter of 10 minutes (a short fish market video taken in Nakatosa, Kochi).

This is one extreme of a local fish market, but in the same area, there is a very nice fish market where you can stroll and have something to eat. It is called Taisho Ichiba and the whole market feels like it has stepped back in time to the Showa period (1926–1989).

Taisho Ichiba

Hours: noon to dusk

Location: 6382, Kure, Nakatosa Cho, Takaoka, Kochi

Access: 10 minutes walk from the JR Tosa Kure station

See more images of Taisho Ichiba at Sushiboy555′s photo set on Flickr.

Other Fish Markets in Japan on Tokyofoodcast

Wajima Morning Market in Ishikawa

Take some time to get our and explore some of Japan’s local fish markets and stop by and visit me at Tokyofoodcast to follow my foodie adventures in Japan and learn more about Japanese food and food culture.

Images used with permission of Tokyofoodcast

Maneki-neko with raised paws are displayed to ensure a prosperous business.  A raised left paw beckons customers into the store and a raised right paw is believed to attract money and good fortune.   This shop owner is taking no chances to ensure that his shop is successful with a pair of maneki-neko with their collar bells and each with a different paw raised.

Yanaka Ginza is a lovely place to spend an afternoon.  A short stroll from Nippori station takes you into a world set back a few decades and onto quaint street, with piped in traditional music, where you can purchase Japanese souvenirs, snacks and tea and a variety of other items.  A number of small eating establishments are scattered among the shops along the three or so blocks that make of Yanaka Ginza (Map of Yanaka PDF) or you can pick up some street food at one the of shops that are very popular judging by the lines outside.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

This years theme is “Hands-on Sightseeing” and offers visitors an opportunity to try their hand at traditional arts and crafts from Japan, in Japan.  Some of the events are ongoing and not limited to the Yokoso! Japan Weeks 2009 promotion.

Yokoso! Japan Weeks Hands On Experiences

In Saitama, you can attend a local shrine wearing a Kimono after having matcha (powdered green tea) and learning all about Kimono culture from Kimono Shop Sakaeya.  Cost is Y8,000.

Take a Sake Brewery Tour in Takayama.  Visit seven sake breweries in the city that are not normally open to the public to sample new sake and learn more about the brewing process of the distinctly Japan drink.  Cost:  FREE

Try your hand at traditional Yuzen Dying in Kyoto.  Nestled in a neighborhood of traditional Japanese artisans, you will be able to make your very own yuzen died t-shirt or handkerchief while leanring more about this ancient decorative art. Cost:  Y1,000-Y2,000

Experience what life is like for the people whole live in rural Japan.  Eat nabe stew under a kotatsu in a 90 year old Japanese Townhouse in Tokushima, visit and onsen and interact with the locals.   Cost:  Y3,000-Y4,000

Tour Nagasaki by streetcar with and English speaking guide. Cost:  FREE

Learn about more hands-on experiences scheduled during Yokoso! Japan Weeks 2009.

Yokoso! Japan Weeks Events

Visit the 60th Sapporo Snow Festival featuring approximately 300 large-scale snow sculptures.

Take in the peaceful beauty of the Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival.

Attend an evening of Traditional Performing Arts in Osaka where you will see performances of Noh (masked dance), Kamigata Mai (Western-Japanese traditional dance), Ozashiki Asobi (traditional games with Geiko), and Rakugo (comic story telling) in Osaka.  Cost:  Y3,500- Y4,500 per person.

Taste some of the traditional foods of Matsue at the DanDan Warming Food Festa.

Look for more events scheduled during Yokoso! Japan Weeks 2009.

Yokoso! Japan Weeks Discounts

Many Japanese businesses including, restaurants, hotels & ryokans, as well as retailers are offering special discounts in conjunction with Yokoso!Japan Weeks.

Check out the discounts offered by Japan’s regional retailers, and find out if you can save some money on your accommodations in Japan.  Don’t forget to download your Yokoso! Japan Weeks Web Coupon to take full advantage of all available discounts.

Japan Trip Planning Recourses

If you can’t make if to Japan during Yokoso! Japan Weeks 2009, don’t despair.  The Nihon Sun has put together trip planning resources and itinerary suggestions that you can use at any time.  Conveniently sorted by region, you will find a lot of great information in our A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 1
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 2

Image Credit:  Personal Collection & Flickr, Snow Lanterns

Takayama is located in Gifu Prefecture, one of nine prefectures that make up the Chubu Region of Japan.

In her own words:

“This photo was taken in Hida Takayama in late October 2008. The shop is one of several in traditional buildings on the edge of town, near the open air museum and the Gassho-En where we were staying. It was a grey day and chillier than we had expected, or dressed for, and this parasol seemed to beckon to us from across the road, its brilliant red promising warmth and friendliness within.

Details: Pentax K20D, Tamron 18-250mm “

Danielle also contributed Shinto Priests at Meiji Jingu to the Symbolic Japan section of photo gallery.

You can find more of Danielle’s photography on her Flickr page and observations on life as an expat wife and aspiring writer in Japan at her blog Narrative Disorder.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

When you get off at Daiba Station, you will be standing face to face with the Fuji TV building, one of Tokyo’s most modernistic and unusual buildings. Take a moment to ponder how the architects managed to suspend the large silver orb high above the street between two towers and – the orb is the Sphere Observation Deck that stands 123.45 meters high and is the highest point in the Daiba area.

From the Sphere Observation Deck it is a short stroll over a wide pedestrian bridge to a view of Tokyo Bay, the Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo Cruise Ship Co. water busses that ferry visitors and residents down the Sumida River from ancient Senso-ji Shirine in Asakusa to this modern city situated upon land that was originally reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 1800′s to protect the Edo, as Tokyo was know then, from sea attack.

Before you get to the view, you will probably notice a gaggle of people, cameras in hand, at the end of the walkway. What they are aiming slowly reveals itself from the top down – first you see the tip of some sort of sculpture, then you see that it is a hand holding a flame and you wonder what could be so interesting? As you get closer and peer across the railing you recognize the icons structure – it is the Statue of Liberty. But why is it in Tokyo?

The Statue of Liberty first appeared in Odaiba in 1998, on loan from France as part of a year long celebration to commemorate Japan’s ties with the French nation.  The statue was so popular that when it was returned a replica was created and installed in 2000.

The sight of the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo may catch you by surprise but it remains a popular spot for visitors and the Odaiba area of Tokyo is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, regardless of the season.

Image Credit:  FLickr, Odaiba – Fuji TV building & 自由の女神 Statue of Liberty