smythe

is it open for business on a Saturday morning? one nite layover in Tokyo gives me a sat AM to have sushi for breakfast, just wondering if they're open for business on weekends. thanks.

NewbieRunner

They are open on Saturdays but closed on Sundays. Days when they are closed are marked on this calendar.

tkey75

That site is saying the tuna auction is completely closed to the public. I thought I had read somewhere that there are certain days/times when visitors are allowed. What's the real story?

beep88

Re-opened as of July 26

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107270431.html

confirmed by official site front page: http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

sbm12

It is open but you must get a ticket and they are in limited quantity (120/day; first come, first served) if you want to see the auctions. I missed that last time I was in town (Early July) but there is still a ton to see around the market even if you do not get into the auction room. Seeing the large fish carted around and sectioned as soon as the auction ends was nearly as much fun as the auction for me.

heraclitus

I have to chime in on Tsukiji.

I had my doubts about visiting a fish market, but everyone seems to swear by it so I thought I'd give it a go.

I wandered through the stalls and while it was interesting to see the massive amounts of seafood on display, I found the chaotic scene off-putting. Forklifts whizzing around, people lugging carts, narrow aisleways, dirty looks from fishmongers trying to do their jobs without interruption... I don't know. It felt like wandering into a warehouse and looking around while the workers did their thing.

It is a marginally interesting place to visit, but I can't see how Tsukiji has managed to attain such lofty destination status in Tokyo. The only reason I can think of is because there are few other options for jet-lagged foreigners who wake up at 4 am.

(I did, however, enjoy the sushi and biru breakfast I had there!)

jib71

You missed the bit at the start where they juggle the tuna knives and the mini-truck drivers do their barbershop chorus routine? That's too bad. If it weren't for that and the dancing auctioneers, I can see it would be a little dull.

heraclitus

DAMN!!! I knew there had to be more to it!

HawaiiO

It was interesting to see the variety of fish and the huge tunas.

Almost got run over by those little trucks/forklifts...

Justme123456

^
Well said. I've lived in Japan and have visited several times, since. Only once did I try this adventure and have not since. You described it perfectly.

ksandness

Put me down as another one who is underwhelmed by the Tsukiji Fish Market.

I think the restaurant supply stores in the area are more interesting.

I tell tourists to go to the fish market if they're really jet-lagged and want to wander around dazed looking at seafood (which brings to mind Jimmy Stewart's line from Rear Window "I've eaten things that you wouldn't want to look at when they were alive."), but that they should then head over to Hama Rikyu, look at the gardens, catch the boat ride up the Sumida River to Asakusa, and sightsee in the Asakusa-Ueno area.

heraclitus

OK, so it's not just me! I was wondering if I was missing something along the lines of what jib71 described

RichardInSF

I have a dirty little secret: in maybe 50+ trips to Tokyo, I've never gone to Tsukiji and it's unlikely I will ever go. If I wake up at 4am jetlagged, the last thing I would want to do is shower, get dressed, and go look at fish -- no matter how amazing it is to auction them off.

ainternational

You're not missing much. It's like a Costco for seafood alone during restocking or inventory time. Interesting? Perhaps. Worth special effort for the common Tokyo traveler? YMMV

Now, mabo on the other hand.... But I digress

ksandness

If I wake up at 4AM jet lagged, I go out to a combini or vending machine, buy some coffee, and sit up reading until sunrise. Then I go walk around the neighborhood to catch some natural daylight and hopefully return to the hotel just in time for breakfast.

The fish market has not been on my mental map since I took some students to it in 1991. They, too, were underwhelmed (except for the vegetarians, who thought it was disgusting) and enjoyed the restaurant supply shops and the novelty of sushi for breakfast (the vegetarians had kappa maki) much more than they enjoyed the market.