Japan Adventures: Tokyo – Tsukiji Fish Market
NOTE: “Tsukiji”, pronounced “SKEEE-JEE”
A demure Tokyo “Maid” that kindly posed for my camera at a train station.
As one might imagine, the World’s most populous city (the Greater Tokyo Area pop. = 38 million!) is verily chock-full of eclectic and unique attractions for the foreign tourist.
And trust that I spent many hours in the research phase of my trip to Japan – sifting through “25 Best…” (things to do in Tokyo) lists, along with glowing (and disparaging) reviews on the merits of “Robot” and “Ninja” restaurants, “Maid” (and “Vampire” and owl and sheep and snake and hedgehog, et al) cafes (and penguin bars), dozens of museums (among them: a “Snoopy” and a “Parasitologico” museum – yes you read that right a museum showcasing parasites, tape-worms and the like).
Likewise Anime and Manga shops of course, shrines and temples galore, scenic neighborhoods and glittering towers offering lofty cityscape views, Sumo wrestling, Imperial palaces, leafy parks and manicured gardens, origami, calligraphy, and sushi classes, traditional tea ceremonies, Tokyo Disneyland (and DisneySea), river cruises, tricked-out onsens resembling theme-park complexes, kabuki theater, and of course all the best duty-free shopping areas.
So Many Options, So Little Time…
Whew! You can see what I was up against in narrowing down the Tokyo options to what I could reasonably squeeze into my measly 6 nights/5 days there. Much of it was easy to discard as I have neither interest nor a clue about Anime or Manga, Maid cafes strike me as a good bit silly, and owl cafes? Um, don’tgetmestarted. Sumo wrestling is likewise not my cuppa tea, nor would Disney-anything ever make it on my “must do” list. And shopping (unless it involves vintage and/or 2nd hand treasure hunting) has long left me utterly cold (yeah, I know – apparently I’m quite the tourist anomaly as most destinations nowadays seem hell-bent on catering mainly to the almighty – capital S – “Shopper”).
Nosireee. While I did hope to take in a few temples and grab a peek (and hopefully a time-lapse video – see a future TL post) of the famous “Zebra Crossing” at Shibuya, my Tokyo cross-hairs were most firmly set on all manner of E.A.T.S.
Grabbing that bowl of Michelin star ramen at Tsuta on my first anxious foray amid the bowels of the Japanese transit system was an unforgettable highlight of course, but when I returned to Tokyo (after visiting the Snow Monkeys, up north, along with Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima – see future TL posts) my numero uno objective led me straight to…
The Tsukji Fish Market
First of all – let’s get one thing straight: I did NOT get up in the middle of the night to witness the famous tuna auction.
While I’ve been known to rise before dawn in order to witness various stray wonders in my travels (e.g. the magic of those legendary moi on Easter island, the ancient temples at Angkor Wat, the magnificence of Machu Picchu, etc.) I did not – repeat, was NOT nutso enough to get up at 3 am in order to watch an (arguably cold and smelly) fish auction.
LOL – such is the wisdom of we dodderin’ veteran travelers: some things just aren’t worth checking off a “bucket list”. 😀
Indeed, instead – my visit to the famous Tsukji Fish Market was all about shoveling as much seafood into my mouth as possible. And for that, I could easily stroll there (well o.k. hop a train or two) at a much more leisurely 9 am thankyouverymuch…
…just in time for breakfast:
Humongous fresh oyster for breakfast? OMG yesss!
Followed swiftly by (in no particular shoveling order*):
Tsukiji Fish Market (pronounced "SKEE-JEE")
Easing into the many options on offer, I started with a slice of "tamagoyaki" (Japanese rolled omelet)
…just 100Y (~$1)
Japanese Spider Crab (they can reach 3 meters in breadth!)
Grilled Spider Crab legs
Steamed crab…
Scewered scallops topped with sea eggs
Crab "bowls" filled with…???
Squid and scallops blow-torched to order.
How 'bout a snack of dried fish fins?
Or a spot of uber-fresh caviar?
Prawns the size of small lobsters
And my personal favorite – fresh oysters on the half-shell at every turn.
Grilled "unagi" (eel) and scallops
"Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
Spectacular sashimi sprinkled with golden roe – almost (but not quite!) too pretty to eat.
*Note: I admit, I didn’t eat each and every morsel that I photographed – though, g-knows I wish I could have fit it all in!
Oh and – here’s a short video clip of the making of my “tamagoyaki” omelet:
And finally, my last (and most memorable) Tsukiji treat from the sea – a freshly made (a.k.a. “squissshhhed“) OCTOPUS CRACKER… as big as my HEAD!
I mean – who wouldn't be attracted by this spiffy sign?
Just 400Y (~$4)
4 whole octopus (pi?) for each cracker
After the squisssh…
Thin as rice paper…
Finished Octopus Cracker
Yummm!
Plus a short video to give you a feeling of being there right along with me:
Aw geez…
Just pecking this post and seeing these photos – makes me want to return to the Land of the Rising Sun to eat a few more giant oysters, along with the many Japanese eats I missed!
P.S. New here and curious who I am? Check my bio to learn more! Better yet, subscribe to my email list (so you never miss a single post) and get a pdf of my 30+ Best Travel Tips (trust me, at least one is sure to be a revelation).
About the Author
Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!
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Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
I’ve been to the Fish Market in Japan and I couldn’t agree more with you, Dyanne. It is an unforgettable experience. My favorite was Sashimi Bowl- so fresh and good! Have you tried it?
OMGoodness, soooo fresh is right, Lydia! And though I saw restaurants selling the sashimi bowls (I believe they call it “kaisen don”) I simply couldn’t fit it in. With such a dizzying array of succulent options, I necessarily stuck to an assortment of smaller dishes instead. Japan is most definitely a foodie’s paradise!
You do like your seafood don’t you Dyanne. 7th heaven for you being in Tokyo then 😀
I did try octopus once, is was okay, I’m not a seafood fan.
Guilty as charged, Ted! I do indeed adore all manner of seafood, so yes, yes – Japan (and Tsukiji Fish Markeet in particular) was pretty much a mecca for me.
Oh, and do stay tuned… for a post on my brush with potential seafood-death – eating “fugu” (Pufferfish) in Tokyo, among the most poisonous fish on the Planet!
We’ve visited many fish markets in different countries over the years and I am always amazed at the variety of fish to be seen! However, getting up at 3AM for an auction wouldn’t be anything that would make my “must see” list either! Watching how an octopus cracker was made was very interesting. But the real question is, how did it taste? 🙂
How did it taste, Anita? Remarkably (surprisingly?) YUMMY!
Meanwhile – glad to see you’re back at the “No Particular Place To Go” keyboard. You’re truly a gifted writer, and I look forward to tales of your solo adventures in Vietnam!