Tokyo: The Tuna Auction at Tsukiji Fish Market – My Final Visit

Before Tsukiji’s famous fish market (the inner fish market) relocated to Toyosu in 2018, it was one of my favorite places in Tokyo. The market was a foodie’s paradise, packed with incredible sushi restaurants, seafood vendors, and a rustic, slightly chaotic charm that you just didn’t find anywhere else in the city. The Tsukiji fish market wasn’t made for tourists and most of the people working there, selling and buying fish, seemed really annoyed with the tourists. No matter how careful you were, they made it very clear that you were in the way, but it was still a fascinating place to visit, and I’m very happy that I got to see it in its prime.

Before the relocation of the fish market, I managed to visit the legendary tuna auction at Tsukiji a number of times. It was an early-morning spectacle that was as intense as it was fascinating, and it required some serious dedication, especially after they put a cap on the number of visitors, and you had to line up for visitor passes in the middle of the night in order to secure your spot, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.

Now that the wholesale market has moved to Toyosu, things are different. The auction still happens, but in a more structured, distant way. While I haven’t been to the new location yet, I’m grateful I got to experience the original tnua auction at Tsukiji in its prime.

That being said, the area around the old Tsukiji Fish Market is still a fantastic place to visit. The outer market is alive and well, with many of the original restaurants and seafood vendors still serving up some of the freshest sushi and street food in Tokyo. Even though the inner market is gone, the energy, the flavors, and the history remain.

This post is a look back at one of my visits to the old Tsukiji Fish Market, when you could still be part of the action up close:

For many years, there had been more and more substantial rumors that the market was moving to another site, and when it seemed inevitable that market would in fact be moving I thought that I should go and see the tuna auction one last time.

One Sunday morning in April 2015, I set my alarm for 1:30 AM and braced myself for a long wait. Visitors had to register in person, and since only a limited number of people were allowed in each morning, getting there early was crucial. Registration officially started at 5 AM, but people lined up way earlier. I arrived at 2:20 AM and was number 9 in the queue. By 3:10 AM, all the visitor spots (you got a bright yellow vests) were gone.

At 3am we were allowed to enter a heated room in the registration building, but there was no furniture, so you just sat on the floor and waited for the time to pass. I was in the first group, and at 5:20 we were told to follow the staff to the auction site. From a designated area we could see the tuna buyers walking around looking at the frozen tunas. The tip of the tail was cut off, so you could see the meat inside, and some of the buyers also had a taste of the frozen meat to assess the quality. Getting superior tuna is crucial to the upscale sushi restaurants, and the ability to pick the right tuna requires skills and experience.

Then, the bidding began. The auctioneer’s rapid-fire calls filled the room, as buyers signaled their offers with subtle gestures. Within seconds, a single tuna could sell for millions of yen. It was over almost as quickly as it started, but it was completely mesmerizing to watch.

I remember standing there, staring at the rows of frozen fish, and instead of seeing dead tuna, I saw mountains of o-toro (fatty tuna) sushi and sashimi. My brain had completely skipped the reality of the auction and gone straight to the deliciousness. Can you imagine how much sushi you can make from just one of those giant tunas?

The auction took less than a minute, but it was fun to watch. I made a short movie, which you can watch below.

After the auction, I had sushi breakfast at one of the tiny spots in the outer market. Nothing fancy, just a simple plate of nigiri, featuring the freshest tuna, uni (sea urchin), and ikura (salmon roe) you could imagine. A little soy sauce, a cup of green tea, and that was it, pure early-morning Tokyo bliss.