GALLERY: SUSHI FOR BREAKFAST IN TOKYO
Tsukiji Fish Market:
Still Worth a Look
GALLERY: SUSHI FOR BREAKFAST IN TOKYO
Tsukiji Fish Market:
Still Worth a Look
COLIN SIMPSON
Tsukiji Outer Market, Tokyo, Japan
THE TSUKIJI Fish Market, an institution and popular tourist attraction for decades, has closed, with the wholesale operations moving to a new site on the man-made island of Toyosu in Tokyo Bay.
However, the area known as the “outer market”, with its bustling lanes packed with shops and restaurants, remained open.
While the loss of the iconic “inner market” means a visit to the area is a very different proposition than before, it’s still worth spending a couple of hours there exploring the shops and grabbing something to eat.
Though the wholesale market has gone, the restaurants still keep to its hours, opening at 5 a.m. and closing in the early afternoon. Sushi is a popular breakfast choice, while those with more Western tastes will enjoy this famous coffee shop.
Fish is delivered direct from the Toyosu Market, so everything is super-fresh. Restaurants with particularly good reputations attract long queues.
Owners use giant tuna and seafood-themed signs to attract customers.
The closure of the old market, which had been running since 1935, was controversial. Wholesalers, fishmongers and other businesses protested against the move, and their case was strengthened in 2016 when pollutants including arsenic were found in the groundwater at the Toyosu site.
Tsukiji handled a quarter of Japan’s total wholesale fish trade, and suffered from a shortage of storage space. Controlling temperatures in the open-air facility was difficulty, and there were concerns about sanitation, fire safety and the market’s resistance to earthquakes.
The much-larger Toyosu site has taken over Tsukiji’s title as the world’s biggest fish market. It is slick and ultra-modern, but lacks the unique character, if not exactly charm, of the old market.
Tsukiji was famous for its tuna auctions, which continue at the new facility. However, at Toyosu visitors watch the bidding from behind glass, while at Tsukiji the could follow the action from up close.
The tradition of bidding huge amounts for tuna at the first auction of the new year has continued despite the move. Sushi tycoon Kiyoshi Kimura paid a record 333.6 million yen ($3.1 million) for a 278kg bluefin at Toyosu’s first new year auction in 2019. He returned this year to pay 193 million yen – the second highest price ever – for a tuna.
Portions of fine tuna can be bought at shops in the outer market.
There’s also plenty of seafood – both fresh and dried – plus other exotic ingredients on offer, and even unusually flavoured ice cream.
In the centuries before the fish market opened, Tsukiji was a quiet district where samurai families lived. The swords used by these warriors were of legendary quality, and this tradition continues at the outer market’s knife shops.
Other attractions in the area include shrines and temples, where instructions on how to pray are provided for visitors.
At one temple we found these strange little figures in red robes – no idea what they were. Japan is a fascinating country to visit, but as a Westerner you’re never far from something that reminds you how unique and unfamiliar it is.
January 2020
MORE INFO
TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET site, packed with information about the stores and goods on sale, shopping advice, and details of the rules for duty-free purchases. READ MORE
RELATED
THE PHILOSOPHER’S PATH: The story goes that this was the walk a famous professor at Kyoto University took every day to work. READ MORE
INTEREST IN VISITING JAPAN is growing as the country prepares to host the Olympics. How will this affect Kyoto, which is already packed with tourists? READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 VIRTUAL ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our detailed guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Disclosure: Afaranwide is an affiliate of leading travel operators such as Booking.com and Japan Rail Pass. If you purchase through our site we receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. We only work with companies we have used and recommend.
LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!
GALLERY: SUSHI FOR BREAKFAST IN TOKYO
Tsukiji Fish Market: Still Worth a Look
COLIN SIMPSON
Tsukiji Outer Market, Tokyo, Japan
THE TSUKIJI Fish Market, an institution and popular tourist attraction for decades, has closed, with the wholesale operations moving to a new site on the man-made island of Toyosu in Tokyo Bay.
However, the area known as the “outer market”, with its bustling lanes packed with shops and restaurants, remained open.
While the loss of the iconic “inner market” means a visit to the area is a very different proposition than before, it’s still worth spending a couple of hours there exploring the shops and grabbing something to eat.
Though the wholesale market has gone, the restaurants still keep to its hours, opening at 5 a.m. and closing in the early afternoon. Sushi is a popular breakfast choice, while those with more Western tastes will enjoy this famous coffee shop.
Fish is delivered direct from the Toyosu Market, so everything is super-fresh. Restaurants with particularly good reputations attract long queues.
Owners use giant tuna and seafood-themed signs to attract customers.
The closure of the old market, which had been running since 1935, was controversial. Wholesalers, fishmongers and other businesses protested against the move, and their case was strengthened in 2016 when pollutants including arsenic were found in the groundwater at the Toyosu site.
Tsukiji handled a quarter of Japan’s total wholesale fish trade, and suffered from a shortage of storage space. Controlling temperatures in the open-air facility was difficulty, and there were concerns about sanitation, fire safety and the market’s resistance to earthquakes.
The much-larger Toyosu site has taken over Tsukiji’s title as the world’s biggest fish market. It is slick and ultra-modern, but lacks the unique character, if not exactly charm, of the old market.
Tsukiji was famous for its tuna auctions, which continue at the new facility. However, at Toyosu visitors watch the bidding from behind glass, while at Tsukiji the could follow the action from up close.
The tradition of bidding huge amounts for tuna at the first auction of the new year has continued despite the move. Sushi tycoon Kiyoshi Kimura paid a record 333.6 million yen ($3.1 million) for a 278kg bluefin at Toyosu’s first new year auction in 2019. He returned this year to pay 193 million yen – the second highest price ever – for a tuna.
Portions of fine tuna can be bought at shops in the outer market.
There’s also plenty of seafood – both fresh and dried – plus other exotic ingredients on offer, and even unusually flavoured ice cream.
In the centuries before the fish market opened, Tsukiji was a quiet district where samurai families lived. The swords used by these warriors were of legendary quality, and this tradition continues at the outer market’s knife shops.
Other attractions in the area include shrines and temples, where instructions on how to pray are provided for visitors.
At one temple we found these strange little figures in red robes – no idea what they were. Japan is a fascinating country to visit, but as a Westerner you’re never far from something that reminds you how unique and unfamiliar it is.
January 2020
MORE INFO
TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET site, packed with information about the stores and goods on sale, shopping advice, and details of the rules for duty-free purchases. READ MORE
RELATED
THE PHILOSOPHER’S PATH: The story goes that this was the walk a famous professor at Kyoto University took every day to work. READ MORE
INTEREST IN VISITING JAPAN is growing as the country prepares to host the Olympics. How will this affect Kyoto, which is already packed with tourists? READ MORE
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our detailed guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE
Disclosure: Afaranwide is an affiliate of leading travel operators such as Booking.com and Japan Rail Pass. If you purchase through our site we receive, at no additional cost to you, a small commission. We only work with companies we have used and recommend.
Were days! I’ve been there to TSUKIJI Fish Market and very much liked their services!
Actually I had tried Sushi for breakfast, it was tasty. lol
Good to know about there moving. Thanks!