Fresh off the boat seafood at Tsukiji Market {Tokyo, Japan}

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I like to try local delicacies when I travel. It’s gratifying for both my mind and my belly to experience great food from all over the world. During our honeymoon to Japan, we stayed over in Tokyo for 4 days and we got to indulge in some fresh-off-the-boat sashimis from Tsukiji Market.

Premium Tsukiji-don (on the left) with fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna, white fish, salmon, scallops, sea eel, salmon roe, sea urchin, shrimps and crab flakes for 3780 yen plus tax

Tsukiji market is the largest wholesale market in the world, and is notably famous for its huge tuna auction. It’s the kind of auction that you need to line up as early as 2 am in the morning. The first 120 people will have the privilege to go in and witness the tuna bidding war. There are 7 wholesalers in the market. Business owners try to bid the freshest tuna to sell to the retail shops every morning. If you’re lucky to get in, you'll have to live by the rules and not get in the way of market traffics. Because the bidding could get really intense!

Outer market

People lining up outside of the sushi restaurants. Most sushi restaurants are very small

But for us, we preferred to sleep in to make sure we charge up. So, we skipped the auction. We still arrived early in the morning at around 8 am and saw long line ups already leading to all sushi restaurants closer to the main market area. We waited in line for 30 minutes or so, until we decided to forgo our spots to examine the outer markets.

Special Selected Kaisen Don with tuna, medium fatty tuna, sea urchin, salmon roe, shrimps, yellowtail, salmon, squid, octopus, scallops, young punctatus, eel, chopped tuna with green onions and crab cakes for 2780 yen plus tax

We then realized, this market was massive with almost every seafood you could think of. There were also groceries, wholesale and retail shops and many sushi restaurants. Our main goal was to have their fresh sashimi for breakfast! We picked a sushi restaurant and ordered a Kaisen Don (seafood rice bowl). Man, those fishes were fresh! As soon as we were finished, we hurried back out to the market just to enjoy some more street eats since some shops closes early afternoon.

Look at the size of that tuna head!

Tamagoyaki 100 yen!

Blow torched scallops

  

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Variety of sizes at different price points

 

We got these super sized oysters for 800 yen!

Note that the subway system closes at midnight. So, if you do wish to get into the tuna auction, it'll be ideal to book an Airbnb or hotel near the market, so that you could walk there instead of taking a subway.

Have you eaten from Tsukiji Market? What was your favourite?

Check out my other posts from my Honeymoon trip in Japan!

{Ichiran Ramen} A Dining Experience Without Any Human Interaction
The Must Eat, Drink And Play in Tokyo
Hot Springs of a Lifetime in Kinosaki Onsen
What it is Like to Become Friends With Owls