Japan Trip Day 5 part 1 Tsukiji

One of the places I've always wanted to visit in Tokyo was the Tsukiji Fish Market, the place where all the freshest fish and seafood is brought into Tokyo. You can get there super early in the morning, like 3am and then stand in line to buy tickets to watch the actual auctions that start around 4am. I would have liked to have done that..... if I wasn't so friggin tired! Needless to say, we went a bit later but still earlier than when the tourists started showing up.

 

When we first arrived, we found this street leading to the main market. It had food and trinkets and touristy stuff. I bought a couple of magnets for my fridge.

 

001 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

These tiny little trucks were zooming in and out of the streets and alleys the entire time we were there. No doubt shuttling fresh seafood to waiting restaurants.

 

002 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

The main entrance to the market.

 

003 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Damn, that's a lot of stuff on that cart!

 

004 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

These fish were being taken into a food stall as we walked by. They still had salt and ice on them from being on the boat.

 

005 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

"That's not a knife. THIS. THIS is a knife!"

 

006 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Here's where all the action started. There were several side streets here and every one of them had food stalls kicking out delicious fresh food.

 

007 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Bike parking.

 

008 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Becca participating in commerce! We hadn't eaten breakfast yet so it was time for some super fresh onigiri.

 

009 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Ed nomming his onigiri and Becca waiting for me. Each stall had a small spot to eat.

 

010 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

I had the salmon onigiri and Becca had the other things. I forget the name but it was rice wrapped in fried tofu. It had a sweet taste to it and was amazing.

 

011 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Look at all those chunks of fish! This was hands down the best onigiri I've ever had.

 

012 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Right across from this stall was another where a guy was cutting up a whole tuna. Ed walked over and bought some sushi from him.... 6 pieces for 2000 yen. Not cheap.

 

013 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

014 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Mine had a flower on it. Flower aside, this tuna was the best, freshest, most buttery feeling sushi I've ever had. It was actually swimming in the sea only a few hours before we ate it. I was seriously in awe of how good this was.

 

015 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Out in front of a lot of shops were giant tuna heads. Supposedly it meant that they had just gotten in fresh tuna so you should come in and buy some.

 

016 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

I skipped the buying process and decided to eat the head itself. XD

 

017 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Heading back down the street we see so many good looking food!

 

018 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Mochi!

 

019 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Giant crab. The tanks above and below the orange crab shells were full of live crabs. The white cooler down front had one crab trying to escape in it, the guy came from inside the shop and smacked the crab to make him go back inside the box!

 

020 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

I love these kinds of signs.

 

021 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Inside a shop that had all manner of sauces, spices and soup makings.

 

022 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Fresh squid.

 

023 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

OMG. The smell coming from this shop was AMAZING. They had yakitori ( meat on a stick ) of all types. We knew what a couple of them were but didn't know others. We bought 5 different sticks and started eating. The chicken was good, so was the beef. Then we hit the liver. That liver was just the most tasty, smooth, excellent thing ever! I really love chicken and beef liver but this stuff was in a class all it's own.

 

024 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

More shops.

 

025 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Dried squid stacked high.

 

026 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

A stuffed bobcat. Quite the odd sight...

 

027 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Becca found a friend! I don't know who he is other than he owned a chain of restaurants. He looks so cool in that second pic!

 

028 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

029 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Strawberries.

 

030 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Random giraffe head. I asked if they sold fresh giraffe meat but they didn't. XD

 

031 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Found another grape flavored drink I liked.

 

032 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Hot tea and coffee machine.

 

033 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

"Please try yourself freely." Why thank you, I shall.

 

034 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Little bitty fish!

 

035 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Another street of vendors, this one with a giant inflatable tuna head on top of one building.

 

036 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Dried fish.

 

037 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This was a cool setup. All those trays of scallops, mussels and clams on the right were being flushed with fresh saltwater that was pumped from up high and ran down thru all the different trays and containers to keep them fresh and alive.

 

038 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

King crab bits! I didn't eat any but it smelled extremely good.

 

039 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

These skewers were a mix of scallops, shrimp and uni ( sea urchin ). They cost 1000 yen each so I passed on them even tho I knew I wanted one. Ed bought one tho and said it was unbelievable. I've had uni before and it's quite yummy. To make it really good, the guy pulled one skewer off the grill and then flamed it with a small torch!

 

040 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

041 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

042 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Down another street.

 

043 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Bags of tiny shrimp.

 

044 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This sign made me laugh for two reasons. One, the Engrish is great. Two, how anyone could have fit down that tiny alley/opening was beyond me. But it's obviously been an issue if they had to make a sign.

 

045 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Sushi menu.

 

046 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Another friggin giraffe! What's the deal guys? No giraffe means false advertising!

 

047 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Dried out puffer fish.

 

048 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

More dried fish.

 

049 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

050 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Sugary snacks in the shape of sushi!

 

051 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This stall had loads of fried meats... OH MAN BACON!

 

052 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This was fish and crab meat wrapped in bacon and it was to die for. I took one bite and had to stop walking in order to process how good it was. I think the bacon wrap and I had a moment.

 

053 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Tiny fish! It was crunchy and not very fish-like in taste. I think they use them for soup stock and flavoring things.

 

054 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

We had been at the market for almost 2 1/2 hours so it was time to find a spot to sit down and relax our feet for a few. Lo and behold, we find a spot that had gashapon machines with one of the things Becca was after.... bottle panties!

 

055 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

You would think these would be all over Akihabara but noooo. All the way out at the fish market is where we found them. And here they are being used as intended.

 

056 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

They also had hats for cats! And yes, of course I bought one for Lenny!

 

057 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Down near the end of the market area was this small shrine.

 

059 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

062 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

063 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

066 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

068 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

071 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

072 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Best delivery company logo ever.

 

074 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Dried fish, it didn't taste very good to me.

 

075 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

I should have known better but I tried one anyway and it was HOT.

 

076 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

This was the actual fish market where all the boats came in with the fish. Tokyo Bay was directly behind those low buildings.

 

077 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

078 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

It was getting busy now that the tourists started to arrive.

 

079 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Pay phones.

 

080 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Tiny alley.

 

081 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

The crows here are HUGE.

 

082 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

That is one pimpin' ride!

 

083 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Love that sign.

 

084 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

After finishing the market, we head towards the subway station.

 

085 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

086 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

087 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

088 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

089 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

Into the subway!

 

090 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

And that's all for now. Next time we visit Shinagawa, go back to Akiba to a shrine with the girls, visit the Volks store photo areas with Manami and Rin and then....

 

MARIO CART.

 

 

 

 

Billy

Oh.

 

My.

 

GAAAAAAAWD.

 

It all looks SO delicious! I. . . had kind of forgotten that Tsukiji fish market was a thing? But you've solidly put it on my bucket list, and if/when I make it to Japan, I think my spending is pretty much going to be split between there and Akihabara. XD

Oh man, this makes me so hungry.

 

I like that you've photographed so many of the little details of the place--it makes it easy to experience it vicariously!

 

The thing that Becca had is inarizushi, I'm pretty sure. It's one of my favorite foods. When I lived in Boston, the Asian market near me sold kits which had the fried tofu shells and the flavorings for the rice so you could make it at home--it's pretty easy and very delicious.

 

The onigiri looks amazing as well. If I ever make it to Japan, I plan to eat as many of them as I can xD

And oh man, that fresh tuna...

 

How was the kibidango? it looks tasty.

 

I love that jumbo onigiri sign.

 

Thanks for making such detailed travel posts! They're a lot of fun to see.

Oh.

 

My.

 

GAAAAAAAWD.

 

It all looks SO delicious! I. . . had kind of forgotten that Tsukiji fish market was a thing? But you've solidly put it on my bucket list, and if/when I make it to Japan, I think my spending is pretty much going to be split between there and Akihabara. XD

 

It's definitely a thing.... just over a block away we saw a huge open parking lot JUST for tour buses. We arrived at like 6:30 am and it was wide open there, no crowds or anything. It wasn't until about 9am that we noticed people started to show up and by 10am it was getting crowded.

 

The food was seriously the best I've ever had. Period. There were so many different things there to try and so many smells and sights. The entire place was an overload for the senses. If you ever do make it to Japan, go there, it's well worth it!

 

Oh man, this makes me so hungry. I like that you've photographed so many of the little details of the place--it makes it easy to experience it vicariously!

 

Thanks! I've always liked taking photos and the last time I was in Japan, I treated it like I would never be able to go back. That trip I took over 1400 photos. This trip I think I took even more because I was using my phone to make Tweets and Instagram posts every day. Those weren't around back in 2010 so I didn't use my phone for any of that.

 

The thing that Becca had is inarizushi, I'm pretty sure. It's one of my favorite foods. When I lived in Boston, the Asian market near me sold kits which had the fried tofu shells and the flavorings for the rice so you could make it at home--it's pretty easy and very delicious.

 

That was the name, thanks!

 

The onigiri looks amazing as well. If I ever make it to Japan, I plan to eat as many of them as I can xD And oh man, that fresh tuna...

 

ALL the onigiri I tried was good, even the cheap conbini versions. But the stuff I got here at the market was just incredible. And that tuna...... I still can't get over the mouth feel on it. It was fish, you could tell from the smell and taste. But the feel of it was so soft and buttery and it literally melted on my tongue. I know it sounds silly but it's true. I've had expensive sushi in the US and NONE of it compares to this. Not even close.

 

How was the kibidango? it looks tasty.

 

Yeah it was pretty good, not too sweet and a good texture.

 

I love that jumbo onigiri sign.

 

Me too, that's why I took pic of it. Anytime something caught my eye, I took photos because if I thought it was neat, others will too.

 

Thanks for making such detailed travel posts! They're a lot of fun to see.

 

Thank you for all the compliments! I'm very happy you enjoy these posts, I really like making them!

 

 

 

Billy

Despite living here I can not eat seafood (whether cooked or raw it makes my stomach churn something awful whether it's fish, prawns, octopus or whatever, idk why) so the Tsukiji Fish Market has never been on my radar at all. But you made it look pretty interesting. Do you reckon it's good value for someone who can't eat seafood? (Even the smell makes me feel kinda nauseous, so I'm worried about that).

I do kinda like -looking- at all the different seafood though cos it's kinda interesting.

Despite living here I can not eat seafood (whether cooked or raw it makes my stomach churn something awful whether it's fish, prawns, octopus or whatever, idk why) so the Tsukiji Fish Market has never been on my radar at all. But you made it look pretty interesting.

 

Wow, that sucks to hear you can't enjoy the major food group Japan is so well known for. I feel for ya! But its still a pretty cool place to go and look around because of the many different things there.

 

Do you reckon it's good value for someone who can't eat seafood? (Even the smell makes me feel kinda nauseous, so I'm worried about that).

 

Well, that all depends on what you plan to do while there. If you plan to try a lot of different foods, you'll be limited because while there were some non seafood stalls there, they weren't in the majority. That yakiniku place was absolutely amazing tho and I know there were a few other places like that. I also saw some ramen shops there too.

 

As for the smell, it was oddly non fishy! I was amazed by that fact because I'm not huge on smelling fish for hours on end. Most often the smells of cooking food and such overpowered any type of fishy smells that may have been there.

 

I do kinda like -looking- at all the different seafood though cos it's kinda interesting.

 

If you want to go there purely as an interest style trip to take pics and see what kinds of foods are there, I highly recommend it. There are also lots of small alleys and nook and crannies to investigate, plus there's plenty of older and oddly styled buildings in the area so if architecture is your thing, you'll have lots to look at as well. Even if you only go for a few hours, I think you'll enjoy the experience.

 

 

 

Billy

those knives.... I want one

Despite living here I can not eat seafood (whether cooked or raw it makes my stomach churn something awful whether it's fish, prawns, octopus or whatever, idk why) so the Tsukiji Fish Market has never been on my radar at all. But you made it look pretty interesting.

 

Wow, that sucks to hear you can't enjoy the major food group Japan is so well known for. I feel for ya! But its still a pretty cool place to go and look around because of the many different things there.

 

Tell me about it, and so much of it looks so good too! It's all so colourful... I don't know why I have this "condition" and I'm the only one in my family that does. Among Japanese its almost entirely unheard of to not like any seafood and I keep getting asked if X/Y/Z is ok, even though they're also seafood...I've actually attempted to eat different types multiple times but I cant differentiate between the tastes at all, it's just this uniform 'seafood' taste that sends my stomach into evacuation mode. Whether its sashimi or takoyaki, two things I am assured taste completely different, it doesn't matter.

 

It also means that the bento I can eat out of the lineup available at bento stores is significantly reduced 8') (Last time I worked here there was a bento place across from the main office and I used to get one that came with one jumbo prawn that I always gave to the stray cat that lived near the office, though.)

 

I think I'll visit eventually, probably with people who would get more out of it than me though.

ALL the onigiri I tried was good, even the cheap conbini versions. But the stuff I got here at the market was just incredible. And that tuna...... I still can't get over the mouth feel on it. It was fish, you could tell from the smell and taste. But the feel of it was so soft and buttery and it literally melted on my tongue. I know it sounds silly but it's true. I've had expensive sushi in the US and NONE of it compares to this. Not even close.

 

Is it possible that you stumbled across premium otoro instead of regular maguro? The color, price, and your description of the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavor leads me to believe it was. What a great experience!

 

Do the bottle panties fit DDs?

MARIO KART!!

 

PLEASE PICTURES PLUS INFO!!!

 

Is it possible that you stumbled across premium otoro instead of regular maguro? The color, price, and your description of the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavor leads me to believe it was. What a great experience!

 

I have no idea what either of those are so you might be right. I just know Ed bought it and said it was fresh tuna caught 3 hours earlier that morning. Whatever it was, it was super tasty!

 

Do the bottle panties fit DDs?

 

Yes they do! We got 4 or 5 of them and tried them on different girls.... they even fit Manami's big DDdy butt!

 

MARIO KART!!

 

PLEASE PICTURES PLUS INFO!!!

 

 

Soooon..... very soon.....

 

 

 

Billy

Is it possible that you stumbled across premium otoro instead of regular maguro? The color, price, and your description of the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flavor leads me to believe it was. What a great experience!

 

I have no idea what either of those are so you might be right. I just know Ed bought it and said it was fresh tuna caught 3 hours earlier that morning. Whatever it was, it was super tasty!

 

They're both cuts of tuna. Maguro is literally the word for tuna (the actual cut is akami, I think? Might be just toro), and is your typical... sirloin, I suppose. It's leaner muscle. This is what you normally get in an sushi restaurant in America, it's the top of the fish (because it's the muscles most used to propel the tuna through the water).

 

Then there's chutoro, which is the belly and is more like tenderloin. Then comes otoro. Considered the finest cut, it's expensive and fatty, like filet mignon or foie gras. It's usually light pink in color, and is supposed to have that melt-in-your-mouth feel. It can also look like marbled steak, depending on where you get it and how the chef cuts it.

 

Do the bottle panties fit DDs?

 

Yes they do! We got 4 or 5 of them and tried them on different girls.... they even fit Manami's big DDdy butt!

 

That's so awesome!! Now I want to add that to the list when we manage to go. Hubby might be less that thrilled that I'm looking for "panty capsules" though. XD

They're both cuts of tuna. Maguro is literally the word for tuna (the actual cut is akami, I think? Might be just toro), and is your typical... sirloin, I suppose. It's leaner muscle. This is what you normally get in an sushi restaurant in America, it's the top of the fish (because it's the muscles most used to propel the tuna through the water).

 

Then there's chutoro, which is the belly and is more like tenderloin. Then comes otoro. Considered the finest cut, it's expensive and fatty, like filet mignon or foie gras. It's usually light pink in color, and is supposed to have that melt-in-your-mouth feel. It can also look like marbled steak, depending on where you get it and how the chef cuts it.

 

Ahh ok. Thanks for the lesson! I had no idea it was that intricate. I still have no idea which one it was we had tho as I don't recall hearing any of those words being said.

 

 

That's so awesome!! Now I want to add that to the list when we manage to go. Hubby might be less that thrilled that I'm looking for "panty capsules" though. XD

 

Ha ha! Do add it and do look for them! Oddly enuff, we never saw any in Akihabara, THE place you'd think there'd be one on every corner! And tell the hubby that at least you aren't looking for the REAL panty machines! But if he's interested, yall head to Nakano, they're there.

 

 

 

Billy