Tsukiji Market and Toyosu - Tokyo Intro: Experience #52 of 55

This was the world’s biggest fish market that is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Ginza.  More than 400 varieties of seafood are sold here and it did billions in business every year.  It was composed of an inner and outer market, with the fish wholesaling occurring in the inner market.  The inner market did not open to tourists until late in the morning, when most of the activity was done for the day.  The only exception to this were the limited spots available for the famous Bluefin tuna auction which happened at 5:30 in the morning.

In the fall of 2018, the inner market permanently closed and finally moved to a new market in Toyosu.  This move was plagued by environmental concerns at Toyosu, so the move was pushed back repeatedly.  Tourists piled in before the move happened to make the market even more crowded than usual in its last months.  In September 2018 the early morning tuna auction closed to tourists to prepare for the move to the new market too.  After the move, the inner market was demolished as it was quite old and a transportation hub for the 2020 Olympics was set up.  You need to visit Toyosu to see the fish wholesale market and the tuna auction now.

http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat24/sub159/item935.html  This link takes you out of this site, but it has a very detailed history about Tsukiji.

If you are in the area, it is still worth a visit for the outer market which has many good restaurants and shops, but some of the charm will definitely be gone.  The historical legacy lives on in the shopkeepers who did not move.

Tamago altar at Namiyoke Inari shrine.

The outer market where the restaurants (including the famous sushi shops) and various other shops are continue to operate even if the area lost the draw of the wholesale market.  There are few shops at Toyosu and the restaurant options at Tsukiji are more diverse and vibrant in activity.  Namiyoke Inari shrine is the guardian shrine for the market, and has an altar dedicated to the egg which is important for sushi and other Japanese cuisine.

A Visit to Tsukiji Fish Market in April 2015

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