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Tsukiji Fish Market

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Map of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
Map of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo

[B]efore visiting Tokyo last month, I asked for ideas about where to go and what to do on Twitter and Facebook.

Visiting and taking photos of the Tsukiji Fish Market, the world's largest, was the most frequently mentioned activity.

Luckily, my Couchsurfing hosts were up for visiting with me, otherwise, getting up at 5 am and trekking across Tokyo would've been a challenge given I was still suffering from jetlag.

By the time we were exiting the metro near the market, other tourists were already leaving.  They'd gotten up especially early to catch the tuna auction that happens every morning.

The market was a flurry of activity as fish was being prepped, sold, processed, and moved around to delivery trucks.

As a result, we moved through the actual wholesale area of the market very quickly, and therefore I didn't get nearly as many photos as I expected.

Eventually, one fishmonger told us all to get out, pointing to a sign that indicated tourists were not suppose to enter the market before 9 am.

Warning sign for tourists
A sign reminds tourists to be respectful while they are walking around the fish market.
Frozen tuna
A worker concentrates on cutting frozen tuna with a giant ban saw. The frozen fish are destined for other parts of the country, while the fresh fish is distributed to restaurants and markets around Tokyo each morning.
Giant oyster
A giant oyster
Inside Tsukiji Fish Market
Tourists are not suppose to enter the Tsukiji Fish Market before 9am, which is when the market is busiest auctioning fish and processing fresh catches.
Inside Tsukiji Fish Market
One of the less busy aisles inside the Tsukiji Fish Market.
Various fish for sale
Various fresh fish for sale.
Fresh fish packed on ice
Fresh fish packed on ice and ready to be shipped to nearby markets and restaurants.
Seafood delivery truck
A seafood delivery truck awaits its cargo.
Salmon sashimi
After walking through the market, may visitors sit down for breakfast in one of the nearby sushi restaurants. I chose salmon sashimi for my breakfast.

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Visit Cheap Hotels if you need an affordable hotel room in Tokyo.

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About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Reminds me of my visits there and the amazing sushi nearby. Way to make me hungry!

    Great Pics!

    -Travis

  2. Mark Wiens says

    Great shots Dave! Fish and all forms of seafood are probably my favorite form of protein, and I really enjoy going to local fresh markets. That oyster just looks amazing - did you slurp it up right then and there?

    • Dave says

      Nah, didn't get the oyster there, but I had some great ones in Hiroshima which I'll write about soon!

  3. Dave&Deb Travel Duo says

    Great capture of life in the market. You may not have gotten as many photos as you expected, but what you did get told the story well. Lucky you managed to get in before the rest of the tourists.

    • Dave says

      Thanks guys! It was one of the more exciting walks through a market, if only because we were eventually ordered to get out by a surly fishmonger. :)

  4. Victoria says

    I know these pictures were taking a while ago LOL but they are amazing. Luckily, you were able to get good views before they threw you out especially those of the fish market!