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Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market

Where's It At

Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is the world's biggest fish market. It handles over 400 different types of seafood, imports from 60 countries, moves five million pounds of seafood (seven times more than the world's second biggest fish market in Paris), sells $35 million worth of fish per day, employs 60,000 people and uses 32,000 vehicles. The market is open all night long and every night the vendors shift some five million pounds of seafood. Every imaginable type of fish and crustacean is here including giant crab, scallop, eel, squid, octopus, prawn, and salmon. Creatures are shipped here in a hurry from more than 60 different countries.

With this amount of fish, you'd think Tsukiji would be a pretty stinky experience, but the produce is so fresh (in some cases it's still swimming) that there's barely a whiff of the ocean. The market is renowned for its rigorous cleanliness. It was established as Tokyo's main wholesale market after the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 destroyed most of the city's food markets.

Tuna Auction

It's also renowned for selling the biggest and best tuna in the world. Up to 500 massive tuna carcasses, some as big as cows, are laid out on the floor with their tails cut off so potential buyers can examine the flesh. Each one displays the date and place of its capture - there are tuna fish from places as far a field as South Africa, Spain, and Sri Lanka. Tuna take 10 years to grow to their full size and for this reason environmentalists have raised concern at the lucrative tuna trade in Japan where it is one of the most popular ingredients in sushi. Premium tuna sold at the fascinating daily auction costs between $6,500 to $11,000.

The tuna auction begins at 5:30 am sharp and is a spectacle to behold. The bidders have a complex system of sign language which they use to communicate the price they're willing to pay over the auctioneer's shouting and hollering. The quality of the tuna is dictated by how fatty it is and the color of the meat.

Other Things to See and Do

The market has its own 350-year-old Shinto shrine with a chief priest to say prayers for the souls of fish. It also conducts classes in auction protocol, knife handling, and cooking classes for its employees. The market is also home to the world's oldest and best sushi restaurant, Yamato. This is a fantastic place to breakfast on the fruits of the chef's shopping expedition the night before. It's not surprising that this market is so vast and complex when you consider that the Japanese consume seventeen percent of the world's fish catch.