Konichiwa, Japan: A Fish in the Hand is Worth way more than One in a Bush

Friday, April 20, 2018

A Fish in the Hand is Worth way more than One in a Bush

Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market is moving.

This is not tragic to us, nor to the fish I imagine, but it will be harder to access for future tourists. And that may be what the fishers want.

Right now, wholesalers flock to the market at 5:20AM or so to bid on huge sides of fresh bluefin tuna, a process that can be observed by lucky tourists, but only 60 for the first half an hour, and then another 60, so that queuing from 2 or 3AM in the busy season is necessary to see if you even have a chance. No photos, no talking and no getting in the way of what is a multi-million yen business.

This is only in the inner market, which also trades a vast array of other seafood - an approximate 2000 tonnes traded every single day. For those not keen on losing a night's sleep for the off chance of witnessing the tuna and other auction, it is possible to stroll around the inner market from 10AM, when the traders are packaging up the orders, making final small sales, and cleaning up their razor sharp knives and stalls. It's still pretty busy, but mostly with forklifts, a cannister-shaped vehicle a little like a segway with a platform attached, and even the odd motorbike, as well as trucks picking up orders and delivering them to the restaurants and hotels and whoever else has successfully purchased their fishy booty.

do not get in the way of one of these
it will run you down!

The outer market will stay put, with its retail seafood and fruits and vegetables and souvenirs, packed with people, including fishers who are eating their breakfast as their working day is pretty well over. The freshest sashimi possible is there for anyone happy to wait in line for a seat in one of the tiny food shops.