Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
Tuna Auction
Bidding for prized
maguro
- which can sell for more than US$10,000 each -
starts at 5am. Up to 120 visitors a day in two shifts are allowed to watch the auc-
tion from a gallery between 5.25am and 6.15am. It's first-come-first-served; re-
near the market's Kachidoki-mon (gate).
Seafood Intermediate Wholesalers Area
Here you can see a truly global haul of sea creatures, from gloriously magenta oc-
topi to gnarled turban shells. All are laid out for buyers in Styrofoam crates - it's a
photographer's paradise. This part of the market opens to the public from 9am,
and you'll want to get here as close to then as possible; by 11am most stalls are
cleaning up.
Outer Market
The outer market, open roughly 5am to 2pm on market days, is where rows of
vendors hawk related goods such as dried fish and seaweed, rubber boots and
crockery. It's far more pedestrian friendly. It is also where you'll find the market's
Shintō shrine,
Namiyoke-jinja
, whose deity protects seafarers.
Forklifts & Handcarts
Tsukiji is a working market, and you need to exercise caution to avoid getting in
the way. Forklifts and handcarts perform a perfect high-speed choreography not
accounting for the odd tourist. Don't come in large groups, with small children or
in nice shoes, and definitely don't touch anything you don't plan to buy.
