Tsukiji Fish Market

Not one to ever volunteer for early-morning activities, I was excited to learn you can still have a fascinating experience at this world-famous market AFTER the 4 a.m. arrival needed to see the tuna auction.  Really, 4 a.m. to be able to see guys haggling over tuna?  No thanks.  But this was so worth a 9 a.m. showtime to get to see the later arrivals buying the day's catch, fishmongers cutting up huge fish (okay, that part was a little creepy), and generally seeing the working side of all the fish that gets eaten in this city. 

Tsukiji is known as the world's largest fish market, and I can easily believe it.  It covered whole city blocks, and was a maze of row upon row of stalls.  There are little motorized trucks zooming up and down the aisles, and men pulling long wooden carts loaded with whatever it is they sell.


Really, watch out.  These guys are flying.

Slicing off a section of tuna.

 I saw more fish here than ever in my life, even including trips to several aquariums.  I found myself wandering around (while keeping an eye out for those little trucks) thinking, "The ocean must be HUGE."  Yeah, landlubber here.

Can you hear them? "Please don't eat us!"

These were being scooped out of a pan FULL of squid ink.

Grabbing a little breakfast after his early start to the day.

The crabs are kept on ice, so they are very fresh and very slow-moving, and I watched this guy grab one after the other, tuck the slowly flailing legs into this shape, and then wrap it in a big rubber band before tossing it back in the brine.

You pay at these tiny little booths inside the warehouse, where the clerks are struggling to keep warm.

Saw many a bucket of water dumped on the stone floor.

 So, you may be thinking, "Doesn't this place stink to high heavens?"  but it's surprisingly clean-smelling.  If anything, you got a whiff of salty ocean, and very occasionally a faint smell of bleach.  Not bad at all.  I went in thinking I might have to throw my shoes away afterward, but it was fine.



Scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing.

Caring for his knives.

After you're done investigating all the nooks and crannies, the stalls outside the market sell some pretty great sushi and lots of wares.  Giant fish hook, anyone?  It was also really enjoyable to see people working and laughing and eating breakfast.  I don't know why.  Just believe me. 

Waiting in line for sushi breakfast.

Free samples of who-knows-what.  Really.  Fish?  Seaweed?  COULD NOT TELL.