Important notice about this website of our tourPlease read this before you make a reservation of our tour |
| The Tokyo Government that administrates the Tsukiji Market
is restricting tighter than before, the tourists looking around the Market
from April 1st, 2008. Please remind that you might not be able to see all of the events and scenes described on the images and compliments posted on this website or the linked pages, which were kindly offered from our clients that took our tour before April 1st, 2008. Thank you. May 10th, 2008 Naoto Nakamura |
![]() "I am still doing the tour" (This photo was taken after the tour on Tuesday April 15th, 2008) I thank all the people that took the tour in the past. They were all nice, intelligent and charming people--And they were mostly rich! They were also crazy enough to get up around 3am in the morning. Their either hard, ordinary, easy, or ridiculous questions all served well to improve our tour. |
"Try to look really tough..."
The Tsukiji workers look scary but they are nice when they talk.
Photo by Craig Cooper
Title by Naoto Nakamura
| This course was originally designed for a Canadian Ph.D.
for the means of studying the distribution of the Japanese fish business. |
SEE THE REAL THING, NOT JUST THE SURFACE!
| Our tour is different from other tours that start from 5:30am and see only the tuna auction. Taking our tour, you can see not only the tuna auctions but also auctions of fresh fish, urchin and live fish. You could also see what is going on prior to the auctions. |

Photo by Per Nordstrom
See more photos
by Per Nordstrom
| Important Notice | Please do not stand in the way of the Tsukiji workers
trying to carry out tuna from the auction sites. Please do not touch the tuna at the auction sites. |
| Events and places | Images (Click to see larger image) and explanations | |||||
![]() Fresh fish auction Photo by TJ Parpan |
![]() Fresh fish samples displayed Photo by Kazuko Funaki | |||||
![]() Sea urchin roe auction place Photo by Eudon Yap We can't take a close look at the sea urchin anymoreA member of the Sea Urchin Middlemen Union claimed that there was a foreign tourist that was opening a sea urchin package and touching it. As a result, we are not able to make a close look to the sea urchin anymore. |
![]() Photo by Lisa Vogt See more photos by Lisa Vogt | |||||
| Watching the tuna site prior to auction | ![]() Photo by Michael Adams | |||||
| The shrimp section |
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| The live fish section | ![]() Photo by Kazuko Funaki | |||||
![]() The tuna auction ("Bidding") Photo by Eudon Yap Link to the site of Eudon Yap |
Link to the site of TJ Parpan
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| Fish cakes section | - | |||||
![]() Photo by Connie Shin Cohn |
-Frozen, salted & dried fish section | |||||
| The middlemen stores | -![]() Photo by Craig Cooper Link to the photo site of Craig Cooper | |||||
| Tide-waiting Tea Shop | The loading space of out-going goods for the middlemen | |||||
| Annexed merchant area | Stores selling fish business-related goods and restaurants ('Sushi Daiwa' is located here) ![]() Photo by Liz Habermann |
(Updated after tighter restrictions to the tourists that started from April 1st, 2008)
| 4:00am Roll up at intersection of Tsukiji 4-chome --(Image and map is after-shown) |
| 4:15am Namiyoke Shrine |
| 4:20am Salted and dried fish section |
| 4:30am Preparation stage of froze and fresh tuna auction |
| 4:45am Fresh fish auction --(Hopefully, a close-up, but maybe a distant view) |
| 4:55am Middlemen store area |
| 5:10am Sea urchin auction and samples displayed --(Hopefully, and probably, we can see) |
| 5:15am Oysters site |
| 5:20am Live fish auction site --(Hopefully, and probably, we can see) |
| 5:30am Fresh tuna auction --(Hopefully, a close-up, but maybe a distant view) |
| 5:45am Froze tuna auction |
| 5:55am Tuna butchering at the middlemen store area |
| 6:10am Disband at the annexed merchantsf area |
| *Please remind that time table schedules may change due to shipment of fish and other conditions. |
| *Members of this tour should be asked to act as a group. Please do not be late since the tour will be going on time |
Tsukiji Tours are on the underlined Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Red dates: Market holidays
Lined out dates: No space availble
| January 1
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February 2
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March 3
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| April 4
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May 5
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June 6
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| July 7
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August 8
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September 9
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| October 10
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November 11
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December 12
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| *Tour fees should be 7,500 yen per person. |
| *Tour fees should be paid before the tour but will be refunded if you leave at an early stage of the tour. |
| *Fixed number of participants of each tour is up to 6. |
| *I am sorry, but we don't accept credit cards. |
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| Naoto Nakamura 'nick, the MAIDO-man' |
"I have worked for 12 years in the fish business and know it inside out."
| Choose a date from the Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
and when the Market is open, from our calendar and email us. We will reply
to you and have you booked. The lined-out dates on the calender are fully
booked and have no space to participate anymore. Please come to the meeting place on the date you reserved a little before 4am. Taxis are almost the only transportation available at that time. The costs for the tour is 7500 yen per person and please have some Japanese yen ready in cash because cash dispensers are not operating at the hours of our tours. We don't charge any cancel fees. Please inform us as soon as possible in case you cancel. Please ask us any question. Here is a map image of the meeting place you could print out and show to the taxi driver.MAP IMAGE |
| Please send an email to 'BZQ23303@nifty.ne.jp'-Naoto
Nakamura-to book your tour. Please send your email at least 3 days before your tour. We don't take last-moment reservations. |
| We are filtering
email domains such as .com and .net since we are having difficulties with
spam mails. By using the key word, "Tsukiji" in your email title, you can get through our filterings. If your email still keeps bouncing back to you, please leave your message on our board. |
| Please get yourself ready for the tour! Keep in mind that you have walk a lot of wet, slippery, dark and crowded places where there are a lot of up and downs. |
| I AM SORRY
BUT WE DON'T TAKE SMALL CHILDREN ON OUR TOUR WE ALSO DON'T TAKE PETS ON OUR TOUR |
| There is a bright sign of a 24 hour restaurant "Jonathan" at the intersection of Tsukiji 4-chome, which is the place to roll up. The following is the picture and the map. |
![]() |
The MEETING PLACE is in front of this building that have: 1F: Bantam "convenience" store LAWSON 2F: Family Restaurant JONATHAN'S |
![]() A simple map in Japanese that you could print out and show to the taxi driver |
Lars Thulin, who is an photo journalist from Hong Kong, has took our Tour on April 9th 2005.
This exciting photo was shot by Joe Shaw
who took our tour on October 6th 2005
(Click on for larger image).
Photo by Joe Shaw
![]() Anita Crotty, a travel writer and editor (and also a Mexican-food addict, in her own words) has took our tour on 2005 December 27th and submitted the following kind words on mouthfulsfood.com, which is a community run site for discussing food, wine, fashion and life in general, on 2006 February 3rd. http://www.mouthfulsfood.com/ She is also a regular contributor to various gourmets and travel sites such as Chowhound.com, forums.egullet.org and journeywoman.com. |
The tour costs 7,500 yen (approximately $63/35) per person. Nakamura-san and Yoshino-san speak fluent English, and they're incredibly well-versed in the ins and outs of the market. They both used to work in Tsukiji for different wholesalers, and Yoshino-san lived in San Francisco years ago. I am sure that we saw things (like the uni showroom) that we would never have found on our own. Their explanations helped us understand the things we saw, rather than just being amused by the visual experience. If our guides didn't know the answers to a question, they would ask the vendors and show genuine interest in the answers themselves. The only tricky part of the operation was the reservation, and even that isn't hard. They've got major spam-blockers running on their email account, so you need to post their message board with your preferred date, and they will email you back. The first morning, we ate at Sushi-sei, a traditional sushi bar in the outer market. We ordered the middle of the three set menus, and enjoyed everything very much. Nobody spoke any English, but it wasn't a major problem... it just meant that we couldn't chat with the sushi chefs! The second morning, Cameron went to Sushi-zanmai, a more-modern, casual sushi-place a couple of streets over. He said both were very good, but Sushi-sei was measurably better. (I, on the other hand, went to Yoshinoya.)... |

Photo by award winning photographer, Ali Bullock
See
more photos by Ali Bullock
| This photo on the right was shot by Michael Adams from
Illinois State,USA, who took our tour on May 20th, 2006. He also provided
us his endorserment as the follows: -------------- Most tours are of old buildings, museums or ruins. This tour is different in two ways; It's of a real- life, action-packed enterprise and your guides are "insiders" who have the knowledge to meaningfully describe it. Under their care I walked wide-eyed through a labyrinth of sea creatures and the people who make their living by them. Sights ranged from the errie fog of the frozen tuna cold processing rooms to the studious gaze of the buyers figuring what each fish is worth and later, haggling at auction. It's a fascinating place with a history and rhythm you get to know as no wandering tourist ever could. Along the way is an incredible variety of sea life and businesses. The live fish section is especially interesting and its clear there isn't much someone won't eat! The market is huge and full of hidden gems I'd have never found by myself. Mr. Yoshino and Mr. Nakamura are great guys quickly earn your confidence. No language barriers. These men are experts at their business and put the changing scenery into perspective, making sense of the action swirling around you. 4am seems and is awfully early. But, believe me, its worth it. I'd almost forgotten the fun of being amazed. -------------- |
![]() Photo by Michael Adams See more photos by Michael Adams... ![]() Photo by Liz Habermann |
![]() Nicholas & Michael Dalton took out tour on October 3rd 2006. Below are the stories and thoughts they kindly sent to us! -------------- "My son Nicholas and I were on a Australian School trip to Japan for two weeks in October 2006. Nicholas had booked the trip over the Internet prior to departing Australia. As we were staying in a youth hostel in Tokyo that had a 'lockdown' from 1100 pm to 6.00 am this required us to stay at another hotel which would then allow us to take the tour which commenced at 4 am (such was our commitment and enthusiasm to take this Tsukiji Fish Market Tour). We did this and a taxi picked us up from the hotel at 3 am and then we proceeded to the intersection of Tsukiji 4 chome where (after a much needed coffee at 24 hour restaurant "Jonathon") we met Naoto & Eizaburo. |
At that time of the morning both Nicholas and I commented that we had never
seen so many taxis in our life on the way to the Tsukiji Fish Market!!!!
Prior to commencing the tour we said a prayer at the nearby shrine located with in the Fish Market Precinct. From that point onwards until the end the tour it was absolutely amazing to see the myriad of sea creatures, the people involved with Fish Market, especially the auctioneers and the sheer frenzy of motorized trolleys transporting produce around. The market was full of surprises to us, as we had never seen such a variety and volume of fish and marine life as this. Both Naoto and Eizaburo's expert knowledge of the Fish Markets made the tour very educational and memorable. Of particular note was the live fish section; middle mans shop and tuna butchering which was really interesting. We also had time to view the parts of the Vegetable market, which also is a part of the Tokyo Wholesale Central Market. We would highly recommend this trip to anyone considering a visit to Japan". -------------- |
| Ramon Huaracha Jr.-san from San Francisco took our tour on December 15th. 2007 and kindly sent us his compliments. |
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They both have professional careers in food and wine and with a real passion for their work. Not only I guided them, but they also guided me on the tour. Connie Shin Cohn-san is a freelance wine writer and I asked her, "What wine is good to eat sashimi with?" She told me that white Burgundies would be good. I tried it about a week later and I thank her for her recommendation! Ben Cohn-san worked for many years at the legendary Masa's restaurant in San Francisco and is currently the Chef de Cuisine at the following restaurant: http://www.sprucesf.com/ I was quite amazed with his deep knowledge and strong curiosity towards fish and food. |
Link to Jake Richter's Photos and Comments! |
| I don't want to put ranks on our customers but I think I have to admit
that the followings are the greatest collection of photos of our tour.
You can find them at the following web site. http://www.jakerichter.com/20061205-TsukijiFishMarket/ Jake Richter took our tour on December 5th, 2006. I believe that I am the one that feels most that these photos are really exciting. It is because I know about Tsukiji, and Jake Richter's photos are all taken at the very best points of the Tsukiji workers' work that are taking place. You can also read his comments about our tour here. http://blog.richterscale.org/index.php/weblog/photos_from_my_trip_to_japan_taiwan/ |
Link To Eudon Yap's Photos and Comments! |
| Well, I have to admit that there exists many talents with many different
tastes around the world! Here's another exciting site you could watch at. http://www.pbase.com/eudon/tsukiji Eudon Yap-san took our tour on August 28th, 2007. Unique low angle shots took in the two-days of visiting the Market and his very detailed comments prove that passion is the best tool to get exciting photos. |
Link To Craig Cooper's Photos and Comments! |
| Things evolve! You see some photos, and they are so good that you believe
that nothing better would come out. But here came these set of grainy black and white photos by Craig Cooper! He took our tour on October 18th, 2007. http://flickr.com/photos/craygc/sets/72157603833445250/ The slideshow moved me! The photos reminded me of the Time & Life magazines, Magnum photographers, Capa... I really like the tone of his photos! It was like watching a very old and fine documentary film. |
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I heard that the Tsukiji Market is restricted to tourists. Is it true? | |
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Yes, in a way. There are some places you can't enter and some things that you can't do like using flashes at particular auctions at particular timings. | |
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I heard that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office at the Tsukiji Market does not give permission seeing the Market in hours earlier than 8:30 a.m. | |
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There is no problem about having no permission. The Government doesn't check the people coming inside the Market. | |
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Are the early auctions from 4-5am still accessible to the public? | |
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Nominally, the auctions are closed to the public. But
it's actually accessible. You have to avoid the Tokyo Government officials patrolling around. | |
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Are there transportation besides taxis available at the time of the tour? | |
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No, taxis are almost the only transportation available. | |
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We heard that the fish market has lots of blood and guts on the floor and ruins your shoes. Is this true? Do we need special footwear? | |
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The Tsukiji Market floors is not that much dirty. Rubber boots are the best to wear because you can wash off things such as fish scales easily. Sneakers are okay if they are fairly waterproof but probably, your socks would get a little wet. They would get completely wet on rainy days. |
I saw this movie the other day...![]() The title is, "Tsukiji Uogashi San-daime (The Tsukiji Fish Market Third-generation Middleman)." |
|

Photo by Colin Evans
Photo by Janine Cheung
See more photos
by Janine Cheung
Just in case...
|
This has never happened before, but our tour is a 1-man operation and you never know what happens in life at 4am. If something happens on our side, the following is what we suggest you to do. |
| The Tsukiji Market has 3 major entrances--The main entrance,
the Kaiko-bashi entrance and the Kachidoki-bashi entrance. From the meeting place, walk to the direction of the main entrance. Ask anybody that you find around, the direction of "Seimon (main gate)." The Tsukiji people are all kind to foreigners, so they will show you the way. Turn left at the first signal before you get to the main gate and walk straight to the dead end of the street. You will find there a shrine called the "Nami-yoke Shrine," Turn to the right there and you get to the Kaiko-bashi entrance of the Tsukiji Market. The entrance has a Tokyo Government guard box on its left, so knock the window and if the guard is present, they will provide you a booklet introducing the market in Japanese and English and a map--Tell them that you want a "pamphlet," which is a common English word for the Japanese. In the Market, walk to the direction of the Sumida-river (Sumida-gawa) and you will come up to the buildings, which are the three tuna sites (one for froze blue-fin tuna, one for froze big eye, yellow-fin and albacore tuna and one for fresh tuna). |
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to relocate
the Tsukiji Market, which is a really bad idea...
| High-density benzene
detected at planned Tsukiji relocation site Saturday October 6, 2007 | |
| The Tsukiji Fish
Market is an important tourism resource and cultural treasure Tuesday Dec. 18, 2007 Tokyo Shinbun | |
| Benzene 43,000 times
above environmental safety standards detected Tuesday May 6, 2008 Daily Yomiuri Online
The Tokyo Governor Mr Ishiwara told at a press conference held on
Friday May 16, about the possibilities of a large increase of the cost for relocation and revising site plans. | |
| The expert panel
of the Tokyo metropolitan government suggested on the measures against the pollution at Toyosu Sunday June 1, 2008 Tokyo Shinbun (Translated by Naoto Nakamura)
The June 1st 2008 issue of Tokyo Shinbun reported on the suggestions
made by the expert panel of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for the Tsukiji Market relocation. | |
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Still remains concerns to the "Declaration of Safety"Relocation Site of the Tsukiji Market Soil Contamination of Toyosu An interview with the chairman of the Japan Association on Environmental Studies, Akio Hata Tuesday June 17, 2008 Tokyo Shinbun, "Core"
The subject is of the soil contamination of the expected relocation site
of the Tokyo Tsukiji Market, at the Toyosu area at the Tokyo Koto Ward. The expert panel of the Government (Chairman Tatemasa Hirata, Wakayama University professor) which has been considering the measures concluded in their proposal, "Safeties can be secured by measures." But the whole picture of the contamination is hidden in a veil of mystery and the concerns about the efficiencies of the measures remain. We asked Osaka University professor, Akio Hata, who has been chasing up the Toyosu contamination, to point out the problem areas. (City News Department: Akihiro Asada) |
| The people working at Tsukiji made this cool Tshirt to
protest against the relocation@of the Market and raise money for the movement.
You could also get involved in the movement against relocating the Tsukiji
Market! Buy this Tshirt, read Thoughts about
the Tsukiji Market Relocation on this web site,@have interest to the
situation, learn the truth and spread the news!@It's the best way to end
up the movement in a success. You could buy this Tshirt at a large middleman store named "Yama-haru." The president of Yama-haru is the chairman of the movement. It's not so difficult to get to Yama-haru. Their inter-market address is 2067. Inter-market addresses are easy to understand. They have sort of "rows" and "numbers." Look above at the middleman store area and they have signs indicating the inter-market addresses at every small corner like this:
They have rows from 1,000 to 8,000 plus Japanese characters, "Ee,"
"Ro," "Ha," and "Nie." The numbers are 3-digit
and from 001 to--hum, I forgot--probably to 180 or something like that.
So, in case of 2067, find the row of 2,000 and 1,000, then find the number
of "067," and you can get to Yama-haru.Ask anybody at Yama-haru, you want a Tsukiji Tshirt, and they will be happy to sell one that fits your size! Good luck! |