Tsukiji fish market
Yawn…
early morning
crazy insane—
movement—
rushing of bodies
towards bodies
of fish, best price
sought on both ends
firm round bodies
everywhere heading
for knives, band-saws,
steely cleavers:
the tuna, I mean,
going from 40,000 Yen
to 4,000, smaller
and smaller pieces
dissected
from the fish
early morning
crazy insane—
movement—
of tourists trying
not to get killed
by moving, really
moving vehicles,
knives, blades
and saws, in search
of that one picture
that defining shot:
Tskukiji Market.
What else do you do on one of your last days in Japan, after you’ve been everywhere else, and since you know you’ll be up that early anyway because your body never fully adjusted? Naturally, you’ll meet your friends at 5:00 am and hit the subway heading towards this world-famous fish market.
Luckily, your friend Rebecca has a friend who has been living here in Tokyo for several years, and she not only has a strong sense of the city, but she also has a local cell phone with a kind of Mapquest system for the subway/train system in Tokyo. So, she types in the coordinates and you’re on your way.
Bam.
Before you know it you’re there: You, Rebecca, her friend (named…Laura?) and Dr. Joe— who remains infamous for his stories and antics at Club Troi— dodging speeding moped/flatbed hybrids that don’t care that you’re there because their livelihood depends on the fish being delivered in a timely manner. Get the H…E….double hockey-sticks out of the way, or seriously, you’re going to be in some serious trouble.
All of that said, visiting this famous market was a wonderful, once of a lifetime experience. Experiencing the fine cuisine of Japan begins right here with raw fish.
We saw everything from tons of skipjack and ahi tuna to octopus, 
squid, eel, mackerel, and anything else you can think of. Workers were everywhere in a seemingly endless maze of a warehouse spread out over multiple acres. Row after row after row of aisles and businesses looking the same: competing, earning a living, living off of the plentiful sea. And there were tourists everywhere. People obviously not Japanese. They were sleepy, tired, toting cameras. People like me. We actually got a late start because the place opens around 4 am, and we arrived at 5:30. But what a treat to actually see the trade that fuels the industries that feed the Japanese people? Stinky? Yes, but worthwhile and wonderful? Also yes. See for yourself the next time you make it to Tokyo.
Yawn…
early morning
crazy insane—
movement—
rushing of bodies
towards bodies
of fish, best price
sought on both ends
firm round bodies
everywhere heading
for knives, band-saws,
steely cleavers:
the tuna, I mean,
going from 40,000 Yen
to 4,000, smaller
and smaller pieces
dissected
from the fish
early morning
crazy insane—
movement—
of tourists trying
not to get killed
by moving, really
moving vehicles,
knives, blades
and saws, in search
of that one picture
that defining shot:
Tskukiji Market.
What else do you do on one of your last days in Japan, after you’ve been everywhere else, and since you know you’ll be up that early anyway because your body never fully adjusted? Naturally, you’ll meet your friends at 5:00 am and hit the subway heading towards this world-famous fish market.
Luckily, your friend Rebecca has a friend who has been living here in Tokyo for several years, and she not only has a strong sense of the city, but she also has a local cell phone with a kind of Mapquest system for the subway/train system in Tokyo. So, she types in the coordinates and you’re on your way.Bam.Before you know it you’re there: You, Rebecca, her friend (named…Laura?) and Dr. Joe— who remains infamous for his stories and antics at Club Troi— dodging speeding moped/flatbed hybrids that don’t care that you’re there because their livelihood depends on the fish being delivered in a timely manner. Get the H…E….double hockey-sticks out of the way, or seriously, you’re going to be in some serious trouble.
All of that said, visiting this famous market was a wonderful, once of a lifetime experience. Experiencing the fine cuisine of Japan begins right here with raw fish.
We saw everything from tons of skipjack and ahi tuna to octopus, squid, eel, mackerel, and anything else you can think of. Workers were everywhere in a seemingly endless maze of a warehouse spread out over multiple acres. Row after row after row of aisles and businesses looking the same: competing, earning a living, living off of the plentiful sea. And there were tourists everywhere. People obviously not Japanese. They were sleepy, tired, toting cameras. People like me. We actually got a late start because the place opens around 4 am, and we arrived at 5:30. But what a treat to actually see the trade that fuels the industries that feed the Japanese people? Stinky? Yes, but worthwhile and wonderful? Also yes. See for yourself the next time you make it to Tokyo.
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