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May 11 2015 8 Comments

Tsukiji fish market pride

The sprawling, slightly ramshackle Tsukiji fish market is a place packed full of character, and characters. But, for better or worse, come November 2016 it will cease to exist, at least at its current address — the controversial re-location to Toyosu having been finally approved.

How the move will affect business, in particular the market stalls and restaurants located next to it, remains to be seen, but presumably what won’t be dented is the obvious pride of the people who work there.

Tsukiji fish market Tokyo

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tom says

    5/11/2015 at 2:07 pm

    Always wanted to go there. Now guess I’ll never get the chance…….

    Cool pic btw!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/11/2015 at 5:40 pm

      Cheers! You still have time. One of many things that’ll be disappearing due to the Olympics, so if you can manage it, a trip over here would be well worth it.

      Reply
  2. Al says

    5/11/2015 at 3:16 pm

    Great expression you captured, but what about the fish?! 😉

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/11/2015 at 5:41 pm

      Haha, by the time I got there, the fish had probably already been eaten, never mind sold!

      Reply
  3. Squidpuppy says

    5/12/2015 at 2:18 am

    For some reason, the first thing I thought of when I saw this photo was: “Release the Kraken!” Like turning that giant wheel is going to open a flood gate to some kind of oceany madness.

    When I was a kid, my school had annual cultural appreciation trips to Tsukiji, and a lot of us went on them. You’d have to get up really early, but you’d also get to skip half a day of classes. The school bussed you back, and fed you a nice lunch, so it was a huge win.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/12/2015 at 10:18 am

      Now that would have been something!

      Not bad at all. Definitely worth getting up early for, eh? Particualy when it’s busy, I always think Tskuji feels like another world in a way. The odd lighting. The blokes whizzing about on those truck things. Not to mention of course the tanks of weird and wonderful things from the sea. All that and some classes were skipped too. A winner for sure.

      Reply
  4. Hans ter Horst says

    5/13/2015 at 1:32 am

    I’m also very much drawn to the area around the market and not just to the dead fishes; love those cars running around like mad: http://monochrome.me.uk/blog/tsukiji-fishmarket-1/
    I can only hope that the new location turns into the same chaos as the original 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/13/2015 at 9:44 am

      That’s a lovely shot, really captures the feel and constant movement of the place. Great stuff.

      I’m sure it’ll be just as busy and chaotic, but the surroundings are inevitably going to be much more nondescript. But give it 30 years or so and then it might be worth visiting!

      Reply

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