Visiting the Tsukiji Market

It was 3:45am and I heard the buzzing of my iPhone alarm. I was already awake partially due to jet lag and partially because of the noise from the Tokyo streets outside. We were heading to the Tsukiji Market, the largest fish market in the world, to see a live tuna auction. 

I used Google maps to double check how to get to the market and realized that public transportation doesn’t start until 5am. This wouldn’t work as we read that only 120 people are allowed to visit the tuna auction and the visitors desk opens at 5am. We hopped in an Uber and arrived at the Fish Information Center at 4:50am, a security guard ushered us inside a room. The room already had 100 people sitting, sleeping, and standing and everyone was wearing a colored vest. The security guard sprayed something similar to febreeze on two vests and handed them over to us. We are officially ‘blue’ vests which means we are in the second group to enter the auction. Only 60 spectators are allowed in the auction at one time. I wondered how early all of the ‘yellow’ vests must have arrived. Our group wasn’t scheduled to enter the market until 6am, we had more than an hour to wait on the hard and uncomfortable ground. Since we weren’t allowed to leave the area we used a vending machine to get some coffee. We couldn’t wait to eat a fresh sushi breakfast after the auction!

Finally, it was 6am and time for our group to go to the auction. The security guards escorted us through the busy market. There were small trucks, large trucks, bicycles, motor bikes, and people moving in every direction. The guards were acting as traffic controllers yelling, “Go!” and “Stop here!” as they herded the tour group like cattle. The guards mentioned not to take photos outside the market which was probably for your own safety so you don’t get distracted and hit by a truck full of fish! Something that would probably happen to Chris. 

Safely inside the tuna auction room, it was organized fishy chaos as you would imagine any auction to run. One man on a stepstool with an obnoxious bell to signal the start of an auction. Bidders walking around and chipping off pieces of the tuna. I guess this helps them decide if the tuna is quality enough to warrant a bid. It isn’t a decision that you want to rush into as some of the large tuna go for up to $20,000. 

After 20 minutes of watching the auction it was time to make our way out of the busy market. It was another few minutes of playing frogger while trying to follow the security guards. We handed in our blue vests and we were off to get some breakfast sushi. 

We stumbled upon Sushidai and figured it was good, mainly because of the line of people outside. It must be good if people are waiting 30+ mins to go inside! We anxiously waited our turn, ready for our first taste of fresh Japanese sushi! 

The sushi experience was delicious, quick, and filling. When it was our turn to enter we were ushered towards two small stools at the end of the bar. A wooden board with fresh ginger was on a ledge in front of us. We were served hot green tea and a hot towel to wipe our hands. The first piece of sushi was placed on our wooden board. A large piece of tuna with soy sauce already on top, wasabi inside, and a bit of rice underneath. The perfect piece of sashimi! It was delicious and after that first bite the sushi kept coming! It was a set menu so the chef was preparing sushi faster than we could eat it. We had squid, salmon, sea urchin, shrimp, amberfin, and a few things that we don’t really know what they were! We were served miso soup and I kept waiting for a spoon, until I realized you were supposed to drink it right from the bowl. 

In what was probably only 10-15 minutes our bellies were full and our set sushi meal was complete. Not a typical breakfast, but it completed our Tsukiji Market experience perfectly! It was only 7:30am and we had a whole day of exploring Tokyo ahead of us!