Originally Posted by
robyng
As an FYI to the OP - the fish market auctions used to be open to anyone who showed up. Now - only a limited number of people are allowed in - at about 4 am IIRC. And people here have said that it's necessary to get on line at about 2-3 am to get in. Don't know if that's true (I went there when anyone could get in).
I heard from others that attended the 1st annual FT Japan Do in March that they showed up at Tsukiji around 4AM only to find all the spots for the tuna auction already assigned so yes, it would seem arriving earlier is the only way to increased your chances of gaining access. I thought about it for a long time before arriving in Tokyo but skipped it and walked around later when the market is more open to visitors and it was a nice 90 minute visit.
Also BTW - the market will be moving to a new location soon (IIRC - end of this year). Robyn
Nope, delayed until 2015 as noted
here.