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Tsukiji Market

A dawn visit to the vast Tokyo Central Wholesale Market, on the edge of Tokyo Bay, some 2km southeast of the Imperial Palace, is one of the highlights of any trip to Tokyo and is a must for raw-fish fans, who can breakfast afterwards on the freshest slices of sashimi and sushi.

Covering 56 acres of reclaimed land south of Ginza, the market is popularly known as Tsukiji (reclaimed land), and has been here since 1923. The area it stands on was created in the wake of the disastrous Furisode (Long Sleeves) Fire of 1657. Tokugawa Ieyasu had the debris shovelled into the marshes at the edge of Ginza, thus providing his lords with space for their mansions and gardens. In the early years of the Meiji Era, after the daimyo had been kicked out of the city, the city authorities built a special residential area for Western expats here. The market relocated to this area from Nihombashi after the 1923 earthquake.

Tsukiji is the largest and most efficient market in the world. More than 5,000,000lbs (US$28,000,000 worth) of fish goes through it a day and supplies Japan with one third of all the seafood it consumes. Though one can buy virtually anything there, Tsukiji is most famous for its daily tuna auction, the best of which are sold upwards of JY1,000,000.

Emerging from Tsukiji subway on the Hibiya Line, you'll first notice the Tsukiji Hongan-ji, one of the largest and most Indian-looking of Tokyo's Buddhist temples. Pop inside to see the intricately carved golden altar and cavernous interior with room for one thousand worshippers. From the temple, the most direct route to the market is to continue along Shin-Ohashi-dori, crossing Harumi-dori (the route from Ginza) and past the row of grocers and noodle bars. On the next block lies the sprawling bulk of the market. Every day, bar Sundays and public holidays, five million pounds of fish are delivered here from far-flung corners of the earth. Over four hundred different types of seafood come under the hammer, including eels from Taiwan, salmon from Santiago and tuna from Tasmania. But as its official title indicates, fish is not the only item on sale at Tsukiji, which also deals in meat, fruit and vegetables. Wholesale auctions are not open to the public and are usually done with by 5:30 in the morning. After that the retailers descend on the market and try to snare the best deals for themselves.

The auctions, held at the back of the market, aren't officially open to the public, but no one will stop you slipping in quietly to watch the buyers and sellers gesticulating wildly over polystyrene crates of squid, sea-urchins, crab and the like. The highlight is the sale of rock-solid frozen tuna, looking like steel torpedos, all labelled with yellow stickers indicating their weight and country of origin. Depending on their quality, each tuna sells for between ¥600,000 to ¥1 million. At around 7am, Tokyo's restauranteurs and food retailers pick their way through the day's catch on sale at 1600 different wholesalers' stalls under the crescent-shaped hanger's roof.

The action is relentless until around 8am, when things finally start to slow down.After taking in the sights, you have to take yourself to one of the sushi restaurants in the neighborhood. Tempting though it is to grab a coffee at the nearby McDonalds or Doutor, you should resist and feast on some quality sushi and green tea.

Good choices include Daiwa Zushi, open from 5.30am, which is actually within the market, while Tatsuzushi and the more expensive Sushisei are in the block of shops between the market and Tsukiji Hongan-ji. The Tsukiji Edogin is also a place, where for a moderate price you can feast on huge platters of sushi and sashimi sliced from fish taken right off the boats. Expect to pay around ¥2000 for a set course.

Getting there
Tsukiji Shijo on the new Oo-Edo Line is the nearest station. Tsukiji station on the Hibiya subway line also provides access.

However, if you want to witness the frantic auctions that start at 5am you'll have to catch a taxi or walk to the market. If you can't make it that early, it's still worth coming here; the action in the outer markets continues through to midday.

Getting Away

Thirteen minutes on foot south of JR Shimbashi Station takes you to the Hama Rikyu Detached Palace, open daily 0900-1630, formerly a hunting preserve belonging to the shogun. Slightly worse for wear, the disheveled grounds are still lovely and make a great sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle. A ferry still departs from the pier on the palace grounds and winds its way up the fetid but fascinating Sumida-gawa river, Tokyo's main watercourse. The 40-minute trip, presenting a rarely seen view of the city's backyard, deposits you at a pier in Asakusa, just a few minutes' walk from the subway.