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Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

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Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#21

Post by jpatokal »

euske wrote: post #16

I hope they shut down Tsukiji and settle this as soon as possible. Most people here are sickened by this endless political drama, which has very little to do with their daily life yet took so much news coverage and debating.

Necessary context for the above: Tsukiji is old, decrepit, and absurdly located in the middle of central Tokyo -- it's easy walking distance to Ginza. For decades now, they've been planning a move to a larger site on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, which is otherwise great but happens to be contaminated with dioxin. They've spent years cleaning it up, and the move was supposed to happen for realz last year, but was scuttled at the last minute because Tokyo got a new governor who realised that a) the cleanup hadn't actually been done and b) they had just forged the test results proclaiming it clean.

Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#22

Post by toyg »

saryant wrote: post #6
gruez wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They're glossing over the recent rules that tourists aren't allowed in the inner market before 10am, largely after business is done for the day. >... >The market is worth visiting, especially if you're coming from the US, meaning the jet lag will have you wide awake at 3am your first morning. Embrace it and head on over. But what's the point if you can't visit the inner market? Is there a big difference between the…

The inner market is the wholesale market, where chefs and such are buying fish. The outer market is more varied. Dry goods, kitchen supply, lots of restaurants and now a fair number of stores selling tourist kitsch. As a tourist I actually wouldn't bother getting to the market before 5am. Skip the tuna auction (there are a million videos on YouTube). The subways start running at 5, so catch one then and start with an…

> you can take a stroll over to Hama Rikyu Kien

I think Hama Rikyu is better appreciated at the end of the experience, once you're tired enough and the little tea room is open. There is something indescribable about drinking tea in slow movements, looking out on the garden (or the bay) from the tatami room, resting your tired limbs, in a very quiet setting after several hours spent in crowded and noisy surroundings.

I went there almost 10 years ago (just me and wife, no kids) and it was an early highlight of my first trip to Japan. HRK itself is not the best garden, the tearoom is not the best tearoom, the tea is not the best tea... but after the hustle and bustle of Tsukiji, the HRK combo can be otherworldly.

Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#23

Post by toyg »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #10
saryant wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The inner market is the wholesale market, where chefs and such are buying fish. The outer market is more varied. Dry goods, kitchen supply, lots of restaurants and now a fair number of stores selling tourist kitsch. As a tourist I actually wouldn't bother getting to the market before 5am. Skip the tuna auction (there are a million videos on YouTube). The subways start running at 5, so catch one then and start with an…

Love the Tommy Lee Jones reference! He's literally everywhere on vending machines in Japan.

This year I've actually seen more Beat Takeshi than Tommy Lee Jones around Tokyo. The "old Yakuza look" remains hugely popular though.

Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#25

Post by Dateki »

saryant wrote: post #4

I've been to Tsukiji a number of times, including the morning after Fukushima. Most recently I was there in September. They're glossing over the recent rules that tourists aren't allowed in the inner market before 10am, largely after business is done for the day. Sushi Dai is good but not worth standing in line for an hour. There are dozens of restaurants along Shin Ohashi Dori with local specialities and no tourists…

> morning after Fukushima

Did you know that there is 2 tons of contaminated fish buried at the corner of the Tsukiji Fish Market? The meanwhile perhaps forgotten incident happened in 1954, when a boat was in the fallout zone from the test of the Bikini Atoll. As a result of the incident in total 460 ton contaminated fish was buried countrywide, spreading panic.

At Tukiji you can see the commemorative plate https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AC%AC%E4%BA%94%E7%A6%8F%E7...

There is a museum in Shinkiba exhibiting the boat http://d5f.org/en/

Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#26

Post by euske »

jpatokal wrote: post #21
euske wrote: post #16

I hope they shut down Tsukiji and settle this as soon as possible. Most people here are sickened by this endless political drama, which has very little to do with their daily life yet took so much news coverage and debating.

Necessary context for the above: Tsukiji is old, decrepit, and absurdly located in the middle of central Tokyo -- it's easy walking distance to Ginza. For decades now, they've been planning a move to a larger site on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, which is otherwise great but happens to be contaminated with dioxin. They've spent years cleaning it up, and the move was supposed to happen for realz last year, but was scut…

Thank you. I'd also point out that Tsukiji as a market is somewhat dysfunctional now and the majority of fish in Japan is already traded without using the central markets. Actually, they started a tourism campaign because of their slumping sales. It somehow worked, which I guess mainly due to the snobbery and pomposity surrounding the pricey sushi among some domestic/foreign tourists. But I'd like to see a real working market, efficient and representative of the needs of real people.

Re: Tsukiji, Japan’s iconic fish market, is still booming—for now

#27

Post by Harimwakairi »

saryant wrote: post #4

I've been to Tsukiji a number of times, including the morning after Fukushima. Most recently I was there in September. They're glossing over the recent rules that tourists aren't allowed in the inner market before 10am, largely after business is done for the day. Sushi Dai is good but not worth standing in line for an hour. There are dozens of restaurants along Shin Ohashi Dori with local specialities and no tourists…

I still remember our guide, who was a retired man who'd previously worked in the market and whom we found on Voyagin) walking us past the line at Sushi Dai. He swept his index finger from the tail of the ponderously long queue all the way to the door, said "See? No Japanese person. Sushi Dai very good, but no Japanese person eat there."

He then walked us a block away to a place he recommended, which had exactly two open seats and very good sushi. It also offered us the guilty pleasure of being the only white people in the place. :)

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