A full day in Tokyo

When there is limited time to take advantage of where you are, you've to take advantage of all the time available. With Jet Lag still in full throttle, I was typically up at 4:30 in the morning, so I was perfectly willing to get up to to hit the largest fish market in the world. It all starts at 4:45 - 5:00 am so you have to be in the cab around 4:30 Am. A group of four of us met in the hotel and were ready to hit the market. To put it mildly, this would never fly in the US. Random tourists wandering the underbelly of a fish market. Forklifts wizzing at high speeds, fish guts flying, knives slashing and machinery of all sorts cranking and crunching all around. Mixed with the aroma of fish and the call of auctioneers, it makes for quite a sight.


In the typical Japanese style, within 15 minutes of wandering a random local took it upon himself to ask us what we were looking for. "The auction" was our response. He proceeded to tell us he was one of the auctioneers and would guide us there. Along the way he proceeded with a Zen like ability to sense oncoming traffic and hazards and with little or no effort slide out of the way of a flying fish cart or racing fork lift, all while we lept, scattered and basically risked our lives.

Upon arrival at the auction he proceeded to tell us the going rate for tuna. 3,000 Yen per pound. With the biggest fish weighed in at close to 300 kilos, the rough equivalent was $20,000 US dollars. Not a type-oh, 20,000 US. That is a lot of suhi rolls. Millions of dollars in fish are traded each morning and by the evening, according to what I understand, it is often in the suhi rolls in New York and LA. Incredible.

Where the big money is traded, the Blue Fin tuna brings in the BIG bucks.
The yellow fin tuna, although cheaper, still goes for over 10 bucks a pound and those are not small tuna.

After the fish market you can indulge in the freshest sushi and sashimi in the world. By 6 am you are satisfied in all your senses. It is quite a morning. The beauty of it all is by 7 am I could be back at the hotel, take a shower, get a cup of coffee, put on the suit and tie and be to the first meeting with time to spare. What a way to go.

Paper lanterns tucked in random corners around the Tsijiki fish market
The coolest Tokyo cruiser bikes at the fish market.
They do indeed have a person who works at the subway stations who actually pushes the masses into the cars. It is as packed a place as I have ever been. One of the Japanese women who is guiding us here actually said she is often lifted off the ground and is pressed by the mob so much her feet dangle as she is pressed from all sides. It does occassionally pay off to be the Yeti of Tokyo. This picture is a true statement of my size. I looked through the viewfinder. I feel like an NBA player in this city. I actually think I may injure myself at some point since every door jam is about eye-brow level.