The Tsukiji Fish Market is a cultural landmark that has become synonymous with Japan's world famous food culture, as well as being the focus of the famous film 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi'. The world’s largest and most revered fish market is one of those “musts” during any visit to Tokyo. “Tsukiji is one of the great wonders of the world,” says chef David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. “There are fish markets all over the world and throughout Japan, but there's nothing like Tsukiji. The freshness is staggering, and so is the variety. Everyone is a specialist: You have the clam guy, the uni guy, the mackerel guy.” Tsukiji dates back to 1935, after a massive earthquake in 1923 eventually forced the fish market to be relocated to the current location, next to the posh Ginza district. The rusty, old structures, some more than 80 years old, contrast starkly against neighbouring skyscrapers.
From the end of World War II through the first Tokyo Olympics and up to the 1980s, when the country enjoyed its economic bubble, Tsukiji has been there, however the iconic market's moment is almost up. Japan's cultural landmark, the world's largest fish market, will soon relocate from its original location to a cleaned up facility in Toyosu. While this move has been decades in the making, owing to growth limitations in the current market area, the city has fast-tracked the relocation to revitalize the aging Tsukiji district for the 2020 Olympics. The vacancy makes way for a new train line, a public park space and ferry terminal, allowing future visitors more direct access to the games. Arriving for a private tour of Tsukiji on our second day in Tokyo, it was sheer luck that we were able to experience the market in its full glory before it closes in a few weeks. Fortunately, the equally fascinating wholesale outer market, comprising hundreds of food stalls, restaurants and shops, serving everything from kitchenware, dried seafood goods, Japanese knives, and sweets will stay put.
Cutting up fresh fish behind the scenes at the Tsukiji wholesale market
Prized red tuna trimmed and ready to be delivered to a chef across the city
Much of the auctioned fish gets cut up and packaged in styrofoam boxes for speedy delivery to chefs and hotels around the city with some still flash frozen for shipping overseas
Before the sun rises, fishermen have already delivered their catch to Tsukiji vendors who lay it on ice for customers to inspect
Fugu or Japanese pufferfish has been called the gastronomic equivalent of playing a game of Russian roulette, for cooked incorrectly it can be more poisonous than cyanide
Freshwater conger eel
Behind the scenes - washing down the tables and floors in the wholesale fish area
which is closed off to tourists until 11am but our guide Katsuo sneaked us in a good hour before
Katsuo, our well attired private guide in rubber boots to handle the slippery floors,
as he escorted us through the Tsukiji inner and outer market
Their day starts early, so by mid morning these fish vendors take a moment to enjoy a hot bowl of rice
The wholesale market becomes very quiet by mid morning, with vendors having already worked a full workday arriving at 4am
Wet and slippery cobblestones of the Tsukiji fish market have been here for over 80 years, but not for too much longer, for the iconic market closes in October as it relocates out of town
High speed carts dash through the narrow lanes and passageways of the wholesale area,
getting fresh fish to delivery trucks with no time to lose - freshness is paramount
Scrubbing down the tables and packing up for the day
The Tsukiji ice making machine which supplies ice to the wholesale market area
The inner sanctum of the wholesale fish market where tourists are only admitted after 11am and are limited to very small groups
Tallying up the accounts for the day
The wholesale warehouse with boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables
ready to be picked up by the successful bidders
Wasabi root
Plump seasonal Pine mushrooms
Perfect Japanese grapes at about $25 a box
Japanese apple pears each lovingly wrapped for perfect shipping
Dried fish shop with decorative lanterns
Lineups start first thing in the morning at the most popular Tsukiji sushi restaurants,
with some queuing for up to 4 hours to satisfy their uni cravings
Vendor selling fresh crabmeat served in warmed crab shells
Ceramic shops selling everything from sushi plates and rice bowls to sake cups and lacquerware
Aritsugu is the Tsukiji Market outpost of the Kyoto-based knife shop popular among chefs
Marinated mini octupus on a stick
Sushi restaurant in the Tsukiji Market neighbourhood where Katsuo took us for a fabulous sushi lunch
Green salad with dried Bonito flakes
Japanese tea
Sapporo beer
Chawanmushi, a savoury silky smooth steamed tofu custard with mushrooms and shrimp
Miso and wakame seaweed soup
Sushi lunch with uni, ikura, scallop, lean and fatty tuna, salmon, mackerel, unagi and tamago
Toro and tuna belly sushi roll
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