Matt and I miraculously got in a cab at around 3:10 AM and got dropped off at the market. We did not realize how big the market was and were dropped off on the complete opposite side of where we needed to be. What we did not know at the time was that this was the best thing that could have happened. We aimlessly walked through the market, asking random people how to get to the 'maguro' auction. This was quite the tricky process because there where fisherman with loads of fish zipping around the market in these mini trolleys. We were trying very hard not to get hit. One of the highlights of walking through the market before getting to the auction house was seeing some of the fisherman grab live fish and chop their heads off. I have never seen anything like this before.
As we neared the tuna auction check in area, we heard huge thuds...like ice hitting the floor. What we were looking at were basically massive, frozen tuna being thrown out of trucks on to tires (to break there fall) and then hit the floor. Seconds after they hit the floor men would come grab it and drag it into the auction house. I had absolutely no idea tuna were THAT huge.
When we finally got to the tuna auction waiting line at around 340 AM, Matt and I were the 29 and 30 people there. We were told to put on green vests to designate that we were a part of the first viewing group, and then were instructed to wait for two hours. The guards there gave us each a manual which listed out the rules for the auction house and market. Basically every part that Matt and I had walked through was considered restricted territory and guests were not allowed in there for our own safety-whoops! Also, during the tuna auction we were not allowed to speak, take flash photography, or raise our hands...this was to ensure that we did not disrupt the actual auction since it is actually a real business and not meant for tourism.
When we finally got into the auction house there were rows of tuna lined up with their tails chopped off. Basically buyers can dig a little piece of meat out of each piece of tuna and touch it to get an idea of the quality. That is how the experts judge an incredible tuna from an average one. Each fish is auctioned separately. While it was really interesting to see the auction, walking through the fish market was definitely the coolest part! I am sooooo glad we woke up at that ungodly hour to experience Tsukiji.
Lastly, every trip to Tsukiji is meant to be finished with a full sushi breakfast. Matt and I picked one of the several tiny sushi bar restaurants around the market that did not have an english menu. Eating that much raw fish in the morning is really difficult for me, but it was quite the experience! The chef told us that he had bought the fish in the market only a few hours before serving it to us. Talk about fresh! Once we finished breakfast at 8 AM we were definitely ready to go back to bed! I am so happy we had such a cool experience to start off our weekend! Hopefully every weekend is as interesting as this one.
This is so cool. I am so glad you did this
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