The largest wholesale fish market in Japan and the world
Morning
After rising early and ensuring we had a hearty Japanese breakfast to kick-start our day, Richard and I headed off on our self-guided sightseeing session to explore the big metropolis.
Fully armed with our pre-paid IC railcard to get us from A to B, we attempted to navigate the metro system to reach our chosen destinations for the day. We took the Ginza line to stop number 8.
First up, with both of us being food lovers, we took the decision to head straight to Toyosu Fish Market which is located in the Odaiba district. We were advised to take the elevated metro train called the Yurikamome line - this line offers modern trains with large glass windows to take in the external surroundings. We hopped on at the hectic Shimbashi station and headed to Shijo-mae, which is the closest station on foot to reach Toyosu; the journey actually covers 13.5 km and it is very quick & smooth. Note: this service actually starts at 04:30 a.m - see timetable.
Wow, is all we can say, who would have thought that such a journey could be so exciting and offer such visual splendor. The metro train is actually a circular (loop) line that connects all metro lines to Tokyo’s major city centres.
The sights were totally unexpected and included seeing all the unique buildings, as well as all the daily action on the busy Onsido River, plus we observed the large Tokyo bridge, as well as the cruise terminal before finally passing the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition space which has to be seen to be believed!
On arrival at Toyosu Fish Market Tokyo we were first struck by its sheer enormity; we learned that it hosts over 600 merchants selling every type of fish imaginable; it is also famous for its early morning tuna auction which is a must see for visitors to Tokyo.
There are galleries to observe the workings of the auction if you arrive early, plus also housed in the complex are a number of restaurants offering a specialty selection of Sushi and Shashimi dishes.
Of course it goes without saying that we gave both a try; two very experienced Chefs used to working with raw fish offered up some fresh tuna Sushi rolls and a fresh tiger prawn dish - we watched up close, the preparation of our dishes and the flavours were absolutely amazing.
From here we made our way to the Toyosu fresh fruit and vegetable market which is housed within the same area. This market also has many viewing galleries for you to see all the wonderful produce being purchased by the retailers.
We would like to point out that this may not be a trip that suits everyone's taste, but we certainly thought it worth a mention in our Tokyo sightseeing blog. For Sushi and Shashimi lovers however, it is a must, so you can get to try the tastiest and highest quality fish dishes on offer.
Not forgetting of course the Great metro journey, which is worth a trip in itself to see the wonderful views.
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