Tsukiji Fish Markets

For an island nation where fish is one of the main sources of protein you would expect the wholesale seafood market to be a major affair, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Fish Market, or Tsukiji Fish Market doesn't disappoint as the worlds biggest.

Tsukiji is obviously primarily a place of business, forklifts, scooters and trolleys vie for space in the narrow lanes between the stands and there is constant shouting and movement. The inner market is where all the auctions take place, it’s here you can see giant tuna fish in various sized pieces laid out on low benches and marine life piled into crates and boxes; the outer has wholesale seafood stalls, by this time the fish is partly cut and presented on ice, as well as retail and other food stores and restaurants (no prizes for guessing what kind of restaurants flourish here.).

You can get pretty much any seafood you fancy here and the seaweed you need to wrap it in if you’re planning to make sushi. Locals don’t tend to visit the market for fun, but tourists love it, the best time to shop is between 5am and 9am - it’s closed Sundays. The fish starts to pour in at around 3am and the auctions kick off around 5:30 after the licensed wholesalers have had a chance to appraise the catch (despite my fisherman speak some of it is flown in frozen.).