The big blue tuna billboard (pictured on the right) is an iconic sign marking the entrance to the bustling narrow alleyways that crisscross an area that is approximately three square blocks.  It’s still a hectic place with many carts, forklift and people scurrying about so you need still need to keep your wits about you when you visit.

The Tsukiji morning market sells more than just fish – fresh fruit, vegetables, tsukemono (pickled vegetables), dried fish, knives, tea and a variety of cooking utensils and implements cab be found in the market area.   Below are soybeans (edamame) and wasabi root.

But the fish is and shell fish is definitely the star of the show at the market with a variety that is quite amazing.

Some ika (squid) and sea urchin (uni)…

Fish selling for Y100 per piece and some more shellfish…

The Tsukiji morning market is a feast for the eyes and your other senses.  If you are in the area and up early it is worth the effort to make the trip.

Many vendors offer samples of their product (some for free) so if you are up for bran pickled vegetables, a little unagi (freshwater eel), ramen, tempura or sushi for breakfast then you are in for a treat!

Keep in mind that much of the area is shuttered by lunch time.  Like the Tsukiji Wholesale Market itself if you have limited mobility (use a cane, wheelchair or walker) or are with small children you may find the experience frustrating and even a bit frightening due to the narrow passageways and hectic crowds.

Click on the images below to navigate a slide show of the images that I took during my early morning Tsukiji adventure.

 

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

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

The fish roe melts in your mouth, the nori is crisp and flavorful and sushi tastes great even at 7:30AM after a tour of the market and tuna auction.  It’s a highly recommended dining experience in Tokyo!

Sushi for breakfast may not be everyone’s idea of good dining but it’s a dining experience in Tokyo that I highly recommend.  The streets of around Tsukiji are filled with closed shops on most afternoons but the market area is a beehive of activity in the early morning with lorries, bicycles and fish carts weaving about the streets narrowly missing pedestrians daring enough to wander about.

The stalls are filled with the freshest seafood, as you might expect, but also an amazing variety of dried seafood, pickled & fresh vegetables as well as tea, other condiments, dishes and cooking supplies.  Many stand up bars offer all sorts of culinary treats including ramen, tempura and grilled unagi (eel) for diners that may want options other than sushi.

More about the market itself and a suggested overnight itinerary with do’s and don’ts for your visit after I have had a chance to wade through the hundreds of photos that I took and get over yesterdays 4:30AM wake up call.

If you too would like to have sushi for breakfast then try one of the  Sushi Zanmai restaurants in the Tsukiji area – you won’t be disappointed!

Tsukiji Update: Photos and information about visiting the Tsukiji Morning Market & the Tsukiji Tuna Auction.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

No one can question the popularity of this massive market, it is the #1 tourist destination in Tokyo and allows visitors to watch the movement of what disappears into the stomachs of this fish loving nation.  But it is not the most relaxing place to visit, especially if you are not prepared.

To shift that much seafood a day, the market attracts about 35,000 buyers along with countless individual shoppers and many tourists who arrive as early as 5AM.

Visitors should keep in mind that the market a bustling and crowded place of business and should take this into consideration when planning a visit.

Familiarize yourself with the rules of Tsukiji Fish Market before you go as having that many people and countless vehicles ranging from bicycles, carts and motorcycles to giant Segway-like motorized vehicles, all going in thousands of directions, makes the place potentially hazardous for anyone.   Also, keep in mind that to prevent accidents, the market sometimes restricts the size of visiting groups or bans tourists from entering certain areas.

Sushi restaurants are plentiful in the area around the market but often times the lines are long and you are forced to go in search of morning eats at Tsukiji.  With a few exceptions the shops and businesses around the market are usually closed by mid afternoon.

Tsukiji Fish Market is a short walk from the Tsukiji Station on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line or right at the Tsukiji Shijo Station on Oedo Line.

Luckily, Tsukiji is not the only seafood market you can visit in Japan. There are over 900 local fish markets around Japan in all sizes and in various formats – from strictly wholesale to combined wholesale-retail and even cooperative fish markets.

Next week, I will tell you about some local fish markets in other parts of Japan that are fun to visit.

In the meantime, check out my Tsukiji photos on Flickr 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