The Famous Tsukiji Fish Market

The other morning I headed to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. I went with my friends Linda and Dave and their son Brent came along as well as my cousin Lucas.  We went at about 9am which is actually considered to be quite late.  The market is a 24-7 operation and the famous Tuna Auction begins about 5:30am and you have to enter a lottery to be able to win a spot to watch it.  The market is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the city.

I actually do not like seafood at all. I have never liked the taste or the smell. I was thinking that I would not enjoy the visit to the market because I pictured myself gagging because of the smell but a number of people told me it was worth a visit and that the smell wasn't bad. They were right. 

There were a lot of vendors with bins full of anchovies and other small sea creatures and products.  

 

There are many varieties of seaweed and since I hate seaweed I really don't care about knowing anything more.

 

There are a number of small streets around the main market that are filled with small shops and food stands. You have to be on the lookout as you walk along these streets because there are these transport carts being driven constantly at high speeds back and forth delivering market items.

I think those weird brown slug looking things are some kind of eel. A lot of vendors had them and they looked gross like some old plastic deflated ball that had been left in your grandparent's attic for a hundred years.

 



 

Approaching the main wharehouse

 

Busy busy. Styrofoam containers galore stacked everywhere and more of those fast transport carts whizzing by.

 

 

I feel like this should be in a Dr. Seuss book. "One cart..."

 

"...two carts..."

 

"...3 carts, then 4..."

 

"... Here come other carts moving fast along the floor..."

 

Imported products come in from all over. This is from Fiji.

 

 

Some of these were imported from Greenland.

 

 

Got clams?

 

Got weird, red, prickly things?

 

Need a Styrofoam cooler box thing? I know where you get one or two. Or a hundred or thousand of them.

Let's see.... there is a lot to choose from. What should I get? Oh yeah, I hate seafood so problem solved.

 

Frozen squid I think...

 

Okay so a huge part of Japanese culture is that everything is presented very beautifully, even the fish. So when they start cutting and trimming, they are really careful and I would say it is even an art because the pieces they sell look perfect.

 

 

 

 

 Required photo of the bloody cutting board. You're welcome.

 

Fresh octopus tentacles

Bucket of guts.

 

Beautifully packaged seafood-y items.

 

Brains or intestines from some sea animal

 

"Hey Ariel! I found Flounder!"

 

Fish heads



 

 

More Styrofoam boxes. Apparently the word Styrofoam is supposed to be capitalized because every time I type it, it says it is incorrect when I use a lower case s.

 

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish...

 Knive sharpners... 

 

Free samples... thanks but no thanks.

 

If you come to Tokyo, you must visit the market. This place is pretty cool and there are thousands of people that work there to make this place run efficiently.  Also, they keep it pretty clean and that is why it doesn't smell like I expected it would. Plans are though that this famous market will be moved to another part of the city next year. This is seriously ridiculous because the reason for the move has to do with the Olympics. I am sorry but you don't get rid of an almost century old cultural icon for a two week sporting event. I will make sure I go again before the relocation. From what I hear the new place is supposed to be more high tech. We shall find out...