- Quan
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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26
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Editor Pick
The Freshest Fish
- September 16, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
barbara from Atlanta, Georgia
While I got a glimpse of a giant tuna being whizzed away on the back of a buyer's cart, I did not see the famous tuna auctions that take place in the wee morning hours at the Tsukiji Fish Market. No matter. My senses were pretty overwhelmed anyway.
The fish market is located by the bay. When I got to it around 6 AM, I was glad I had already had a cup of coffee. You have to keep alert in this area, or you'll get run over. This is a place of serious commerce, and the fish sellers/buyers ride carts at fast speeds up and down the aisles.
In truth, when you first get to this area, it's hard to see it's a fish market. It certainly doesn't smell all that fishy. To one end, produce is what is being sold. Closer to the water, you'll find fish but don't expect it to be laid out flopping on the concrete floors. Rather the fish is in Styrofoam cases, ready to be bought and carted away by restaurants. If you walk up and down some of the stall aisles by the fish market, you will see fish so fresh it's still swimming in buckets of water, but this isn't what I found directly in the midst of the market chaos.
The thing you really want to do here is not sight-see. It's to hop into a line at the concrete buildings with numbers on them that you'll see towards the back of the market, not near the water but closer to the street. Here you'll have a very Japanese breakfast. Some of the waits are long outside the most popular stalls, but I am not so picky. I ate at the fish market twice and chose shorter lines. The first day, I had sashimi served over a bowl of rice. The second day I had a trey of sushi. While both were good, I'd recommend the sushi place as the better option. Located in building 6, it was called Ya Ma Za Ki. Granted, the pictographs are what appear above doorways, so look at my pictures to figure out how to match up the Japanese characters and find the appropriate stall.
After you have had your fill of fish, walk through the aisles of vendors and perhaps pick up a ceramic dish to take home. (I bought two!) Then go to a quieter place for your next adventure, Hama Rikyu Teien, a traditional Japanese garden that is only a short walk away.
From journal Terrific Tokyo
Early Morning Fishy Business
- October 24, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Poole Party from everywhere, Virginia
If you want to catch the activity in this area, you HAVE to get up before 9am. The fish is fresh, the voices of the fish hawkers loud and the sights and smell of this lively fish market quite engaging.
Make sure you have your camera and make sure you don't have flimsy sandals because there is lots of splish splashing of water as smalls trucks and scooter type vehicles move through the market transporting fishy things around.
From journal Tokyo DIsneyland
Editor Pick
Nice Lunch and Great Feel for the City
- July 7, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
wasa girl from Ashburn, Virginia
I cannot comment on the early morning experience that all the guide books say you must try, since getting up that early was not in my plan. I can say that by lunch time the area was still humming and worth the few blocks walk from the Tsukijishijo metro station on the Toei Oedo line. If you are interested in getting a feel for the speed of life that is Tokyo with out the Neon glow found in Ginza or Shinjuku, this is the place to go.
The streets leading up to the dock provide a great opportunity to fill your kitchen cabinets with bowls, dishes and any other necessity. The stalls are filled from the floor to ceiling and those not selling wares are packed with workers getting a quick meal. Barely able to fit the cook, much less any guests, the sidewalks are lined with make shift tables of all sorts and exploring here does require staying alert to avoid steaming bowls of food and the constant blur of bicycles zipping around.
Most of the sales had ended inside the market area by the time we reached the area, but it was still a buzz with trucks and carts zipping around moving the fresh product out into the city. Several restaurants / stalls in this area have been written and proclaimed at the best place to eat in a wide range of guide books. They are not too hard to find, they are the ones with long lines and hour waits to eat. Not able to compare the food at one of these establishments with the one I did experience I cannot say that one is superior; I can say that we walked right into a sushi bar and sat down, no wait. The food was great, even fish that I typically avoid were enjoyable and the serving for the money was definitely fair. I don't know the name (see the photo), but if you are looking to get a good meal I don't think you can go wrong by straying from the guide books when in the area.
From journal Two Weeks in Japan
Editor Pick
Tsukiji Fish Market
- January 12, 2008
- Rated 3 of 5 by
TLM2008 from Toronto, Ontario
You've landed in Japan, perhaps after a long journey, such as the 13 hour flight from Toronto to Tokyo and you find yourself annoyingly, irritatingly, wide awake at 4:00 a.m. due to jet lag. What's that sound? It's opportunity knocking. The early rising you've experienced is the perfect time to take advantage of witnessing one of Tokyo's famous and interesting sights the Tsukiji fish market.
After navigating our first subway ride through Tokyo, we arrived at the Tsukiji station stop to find our way to the market. This is the site where all the fresh catch is available for purchase. Although it's listed in most guidebooks and websites catering to foreign tourists, it is far from a tourist attraction: it is a real life, working hub of activity. At first I thought we would be killed by the numerous buzzing scooters and mini-flatbed transport vehicles, not to mention all the men pushing carts and all the bicycles..wow! My sense is that the workers at the market are well-accustomed to seeing tourists wander the stalls but they go about their business and do not cater to us foreigners wandering aimlessly - in other words, watch out or you could end up bonked on the head by a fish being carried past you!
Once we got our bearings it was well worth the trip. It was fun and interesting to see all the fresh fish for sale in the market. Giant tuna, eels, squids, gorgeous purple octopii and more. It was a photography enthusiast's dream.
The fish is so fresh that it doesn't even really smell - which is a feature you will welcome since you likely will not have had breakfast at the time of your visit. You absolutely must visit early (pre-7:00 a.m.) - if you arrive by 5:30 a.m. you can see the giant tuna being auctioned. I'm sorry to say we missed the auction and probably arrived around 6:00 a.m. but there were still many great sights to see.
Oh, and furthermore, watch out for the giant buckets of fish water that are getting sloshed about!
From journal Tokyo-a-go-go!
Tsukiji Fish Market
- December 8, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
viv viv from Los Angeles, California
If you're a sushi/sashimi lover, this is the one place you cannot miss. They have the freshest fish in the world made into sushi and sashimi at low price! Delicious and cheap, what can be better! They do not let tourists go inside the fish market to watch their fish auctions anymore, I have only been there once to see the auction. It was very fascinating to see them drag the fishes in and out and bid for the price. There are huge fishes freshly loaded off boats, and a lot of other seafood! Too bad that they don't let people go inside anymore, however, you can still visit the outside of the fish market where there are restaurants and markets that you can buy and eat fresh sashi/sushi and seafood.
Recommendations: Uni (sea urchin), Fatty Tuna (OO Toro), Tamago Yaki (Egg Omelet), Grill Eel, Clam Miso soup.
These are my favorites and they're the best in Tsukiji.
From journal Japan Trip