Tsukiji

A person who willing wakes up at 4:30 am to wade through fish guts is:
A) Completely out of her mind
B) Tired for the next week
C) A tourist (a Japanese person would never do this of her own free will)
D) All of the above

Hooray for brave parents and a willing Japanese friend. We found a hotel in Tokyo for the Friday night so that we could wake up early, early on Saturday morning and head over to the Tsukiji Fish Market. It was worth every sleep-deprived minute.


Tsukiji was fascinating: The many kinds of fish and seafood, the frozen tuna that was the size of seals, the morning rush of activity you find in any real market. The market floor was wet and the rain outside just added to the puddles. So, we rolled up our pants and wadded in. And for the most part, it was pretty clean.



The tuna was the most interesting. The carcasses were huge and everywhere. Frozen blocks in rows and sliding along concrete floors, on carts and little trucks, or scooped up in cranes, saw blades slicing through the frozen flesh or being chopped with axes. The thawed meat was a deep red. Many of the fish had chunks cut near where the tail would have been to allow potential buyers to peek at the quality of the fish.

And these were no crude fishmongers, let me tell you. Rather, they were savvy businessmen and women cutting deals on their cell phones between cleaning and shucking the fish and seafood.


Tsukiji is a real, working market. It’s very hectic and we constantly had to watch our step to avoid being hit by passing vehicles or a flying fish head. Tourists used to be allowed to attend the morning auction, but no more. And, I can’t say I blame them. Can you imagine if your workplace was a tourist destination? Cameras flashing as you file paperwork or go about your daily business?


Not all of the fish is fresh, or Japanese. We found a box of Canadian prawns. And, the Japanese seem to have a thing for some special varieties of Canadian mushrooms. (That’s my next campaign, “Free The Mushrooms.” Why is it I’ve never seen these things at home?)




Of course, you can’t go to Tsukiji without eating sushi for breakfast. We patiently waited about 20 minutes in the rain for a counter seat at a little sushi place. My rice bowl was piled high with tuna, salmon and sea urchin (uni). And you know what? For the first time in my adult life, it was really unappetizing to chew and swallow those chunks of raw fish. I don’t know why.

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