It’s hard to come to Tokyo and pass by the opportunity to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market. This is the market with the famous tuna auction that tourists lined up to see in the early hours of the morning, and where the cost of some tunas could go up in the millions. Many renowned sushi restaurants and chefs in Tokyo shop here for fresh ingredients, and it’s not hard to see why.
Like many neighborhoods in Tokyo, the Tsukuji Market is also imbued with its own set traditions and history. Its origin could be traced all the way back to the Edo period, when fishermen sold seafood near the Nihonbashi. The current controversy surrounding the market is the decision to move the market to another location.
Early on a Saturday morning, as the market unfortunately closed on Sunday and on some Wednesday, I made my way over to Tsukiji Station via the Hibiya line. As with all touristy spots, the place with hopping with people from all over the world. However, there was a good mix of local people just shopping at the market or browsing around. The market has an outer market and an inner market. The outer market has an opened-air/farmer market feel to it, and has a lot of cool snacks/food shop. There were delicious looking daifuku and tamoyaki on a stick and matcha ice cream and grilled seafood on a stick. I knew that I couldn’t go the Tsukuji Market and try some sushi, but the amount and types of sushi restaurants/stalls available to choose from was overwhelming. In the end, I decided to eat at Sushizanmai, a kaiten sushi chain store that’s pretty well known. Their tuna nigiris were delicious.
