Taste the season and see the brilliance of the workers at “The Tsukiji Market” that governs Japan’s

~Tsukiji is the one and only place where you can encounter seasonal foods.~

Do you know the movie called “Tsukiji Wonderland” that created the opportunity to introduce Tsukiji.

This movie is a documentary that closely interviewed Tsukiji for a long period for about a year, with the full cooperation of the Tsukiji Market. Many places overseas have already decided to release this movie. Although I would, of course, would like you to watch the movie, Tsukiji Market is also a place perfect to enjoy by visiting in person. Tsukiji offers various ways of enjoying the market. You can dive deep into the market or just peek into it. Today, let’s stroll through the market by taking just a peek.

First, let’s look at how to get here. You will arrive at the market in about 20 minutes by using the subway called the Toei Oedo Line from the Shinjuku Station. You will get off at “Tsukiji Station” using the A1 exit.  

Tsukiji Market is divided into two main facilities, the Outer and the Inner Market. The Outer Market is an area the public can shop and enjoy meals. The Inner Market is where bidding and wholesalers are conducted and where wholesalers sell seafood from the ocean to intermediate wholesalers. As a general rule, only registered contractors are allowed to use the facility. The existence of intermediate wholesalers is unique to Japan. 

Intermediate wholesalers are those who risk their lives to choose the best fish. Professional chefs build trust by connecting with intermediate wholesalers and can get a hold of quality ingredients. You can observe part of the Inner Market after 10 A.M. 

 I came across a mini car of a turret truck at the Outer Market and bought one for myself.

After leaving the Inner Market where cameras are not allowed in most places, I headed to the Outer Market after visiting the “Sui Shrine.” The Sui Shrine is a god created at the riverside fish market during the beginning of the Edo Era. It is always kept clean by the people of the market and is a restful place where you can also admire seasonal flowers.  

When you arrive at the Outer Market, you will see that each store has a crowd even when it is too early for lunch. I plowed through the crowd and began by eating a tamagoyaki (a sweet Japanese omelet) and started strolling the area. 

A freshly made tamagoyaki is slightly sweet and warm. It is easy for anyone to eat it, as it is sold stabbed in a skewer. 

You can buy products from all over Japan such as raw seafood, dried goods, pickles, seasoning, vegetables, and fruits. Although the Outer Market is a place with a vibrant atmosphere that is different from the Inner Market, I recommend trusting your intuition when choosing where to eat lunch.

I ordered a kaisen don (seafood on rice) and a negitoro ikura don (minced raw tuna and salmon roe on rice) at a store that invited me to dine as I passed by. The store provides an English menu and spoons and forks for people who can’t use chopsticks and is the embodiment of thoughtful Japanese service.

Although I still wanted to savor different Japanese treats, I was already full. I left the Tsukiji Market after visiting Namiyoke Inari Shrine at the Outer Market. 

The Tsukiji Market is also called the sacred ground of Japanese food. It has been decided that the market will shortly relocate from Tsukiji to another place. The market’s commitment to protect Japanese food will continue to be inherited even after the relocation. The facility, “the TsukijiUogashi” will continue to remain at the Tsukiji Market even after the relocation. 

The Tsukiji Market that makes one want to visit over and over again is a true wonderland and a place worthy to encounter the essence of Japan. To know a year at the Tsukiji Market is to know Japanese food. Spring is the season shellfish is delicious, as you enjoy Japanese egg cockle sushi and white fish tempura. In the summer, you treat yourself with daggertooth pike conger with shredded dried plum in which the bones are carefully treated and sweetfish cooked with charcoal fire. By the time you hear the sounds of fall, saury welcomes its peak season. During the winter when the cold seems to chill your bones, you savor sashimi of thinly sliced blowfish and black-throat seaperch. Abundant seasonal seafood come along the market throughout the year. Why don’t you try visiting this place this season? 

Opening year: 1953 Surface area: 230,836㎡ Number of workers per day: 14,000 Number of people who visit for shopping: 28,000 Transaction volume: Approximately 1600 tons Building: A western Bauhaus design is adopted for the style for the windows and the roof.