6/21/2006: The Tsukiji Fishmarket

     Today we crawled out of the Karaoke place at five A.M. to walk down to the ocean and see the Tsukiji Fish Market, a one-of a kind experience that every traveler should see before the fish market is (unfortunately) set to be dismantled and computerized by 2008. Our professor encouraged us to go because of this fact, and I was very glad to have had the experience. Upon entering the fish market we saw huge varieties of fish that I've never seen in all my life (even on the internet). There were traditional wooden-plank carts and more updated, modern, four-wheeler-style motor-carts that had the traditional wooden planks put up onto the back wheels for carrying many boxes of fish at a time. The obvious advantage of these newer carts is that they require less of a physical workout, but in true cultural form of the Japanese tradition, there were still many young men who pulled the carts by the sweat of their brow every day.
     People rushed around like they were in some kind of complicated obstacle race around a sea of boxes, sinks, and equipment. There was some caution on our parts because we had to observe while avoiding getting in the way of everyday business. When the live auction started, people bought the choicest fish in the world for hundreds and thousands of yen. Apparently some of the biggest fish were worth more than a new car! I have to say that it was quite the adventure.

     Later that morning we went into a famed nearby sushi restaurant and I ordered the best Unagi (eel) maki roll that I had ever tasted. I also had what was called a crunchy lobster maki roll that tasted quite good but I am not sure what the other tasty ingredients in it were aside from the lobster meat. All I know is that it tasted good, and I'm okay with that!

Signing out because I definitely need some sleep!
Lady Laura Jones

Trying to be sneaky on the edge of the fishmarket so they don't make us go to the visitor's frozen fish auction rather than the live fish one...

Looking into the warehouse.

For some reason this Aladdin quote popped into my  head..."Fresh Fish! We catch 'em you buy 'em!" Mmmm media saturation. hehe. 
















The largest box of ice I have ever seen...

Sacred egg statue in the small, Shinto Shrine next to the Tsukiji Fish Market where many fisherman go to pray each morning before starting their work day. The small shrine is located down near the bicycle parking lot filled to the max every day with hundreds of bikes.

This is the little kitty I met that looked out at me with curious eyes.
He looked like he enjoyed sleeping under the giant dragon's head behind the purification fountain, as though he was a guardian spirit of this cute little temple.

One big fresh bowl of salmon sashimi. Mmmmm tasty!

Sushi that tasted as good as it looked!

My delicious crunchy lobster maki roll. Artfully arranged as sushi chef's will often display their talents of arrangement after their artful preparation of the ultra-fresh sushi.