Tsukiji Fish Market
The tourist instinct has the habit of identifying costumbrista scenarios and signs of local authenticity in the most unlikely places . Thus, while in Spain no one in their right mind would think of setting the alarm clock at four in the morning to watch the Mercamadrid laborers work or witness the slaughter of the pig (as some do), in Tokyo, an early-morning visit Visiting the Tsukiji fish market is almost a moral obligation for any first-time traveler to the Japanese capital.
Tsukiji is the largest fish market on the planet: every day, more than 2,000 tons of fish are sold for almost 20 million dollars and occupies 230,000 square meters. It is an ecosystem messy, smelly, dripping. In every corner, giant tuna, puffer fish, algae, impossible cetaceans, shark fins and scales of other creatures that seem to be taken from Jules Verne's worst nightmares of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are scattered.
Tsukiji: the paradise of fresh tuna
Dressed in aprons and rubber boots, the workers endure with a stoicism bordering on bad humor (something unusual in Japan) the stunned gaze of the hordes of tourists. The influx of visitors who wanted to see this fabulous show up close became a strategic problem for the smooth running of the market: they hindered the famous tuna auction and the crowds increased the optimum temperature for proper fish preservation. For this reason, the presence of tourists was limited to the auctions of fresh tuna, which can now only be observed by 120 people per day confined to a limited area from 5:00 in the morning.
After the auction, it opens the way to the regular market. Tourists compulsively photograph the stalls. The show is, while the workers, armed with hoses and samurai swords, they cut tuna loins the size of Godzilla which will then go to the famous restaurants that have made Tokyo the city with the most Michelin stars in the world.
A worker cuts the back of a tuna
THE END OF TSUKIJI?
This microcosm, active for 78 years, has its days numbered . Among Tokyo's urban plans for the 2020 Olympic Games, the city has decided that, between 2014 and 2015, t will move the fish market to the artificial island of Toyosu . In the space currently occupied by this market, residential buildings will be built, as well as a tunnel that will connect the center of the city with the islands that will house the Olympic venues. The new complex will be 40 percent larger.
Octopus in Tsukiji
The measure, which had been on the table for years, has been received with mixed opinions . Those in favor of the transfer mention that the fish market has become too small, that it is unhealthy and chaotic and that generates enormous congestion in the surrounding traffic.
However, those who consider the market a cultural treasure fear that its move spells the end of a sacred redoubt of traditional commerce. In Tokyo, a city that embodies futurism at all levels, its fish market represents a folklore that is losing space by leaps and bounds compared to the sale of fish in large stores. In addition to the fact that it is still considered a fundamental piece in the machinery of the Japanese food industry, credited with putting sushi at the center of the world gastronomy map . The market has inspired filmmakers such as Isabel Coixet to anthropologists such as Theodore Bestor, who has written a veritable treatise on it.
The fish market: a chaotic universe
Tsukiji's story is not new. We have seen it in other cities that have hosted the Games. With the Olympic facelift comes urban remodeling and public works that, inevitably corners charming but unwelcome bastions of traditionality . Sometimes, many end up disappearing, as happened with many of the hutongs in Beijing. We don't know yet what history holds for Tsukiji in his new location, but either way, for now, he's still in his place.
A man drags a piece of fish
**INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE TO VISIT THE MARKET (WHILE YOU CAN) **
The liturgy consists of several steps:
1) First of all, you have to wake up at odd hours . It is convenient to take advantage of the wild jet lag of the first days to get out of bed. During the subway ride, the first time traveler will be surprised to see the large number of sleepy executives already heading to their jobs.
2)Once in Tsukiji, you have to put the five lethargic senses (and, if possible, some more) in not getting run over by any of the hundreds of motorized carts in which market employees move and transport fish at supersonic speeds. Note: this warning is serious.
watch out for them
3) If you want to witness the auction, please note that starts at 5:00 in the morning and that capacity is reduced to the first 120 people to arrive . We recommend that before you get up early, check the web if it will indeed be public, since it is not always the case (for example, from December 2 to January 18, the time of greatest market activity, they are suspended).
4) The outer market and annex to Tsukiji, although less charismatic, is equally charming and you can find everything: street food stalls, gadgets and kitchen utensils, tiny sushi restaurants, fruits and vegetables, more fish...
The Tuna Festival in Tsukiji
5) Tradition dictates ending the visit eating what is considered the freshest sushi in the world for breakfast in one of the stalls or small restaurants next to the market. The feast of tea, misho soup, sashimi and sushi is legendary . If you want to do it in one of the most famous, such as Daiwa Sushi and Edogin, keep in mind that they are tiny places where queues can form for several hours.
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- World markets where to eat and be happy - Reasons to idolize Tokyo, today and in 2020 - Tokyo Guide
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