The Source of a Common Food

Over my spring break weekend, I had the opportunity to go to one of the more well-known tourist attractions in Tokyo, the Tsukiji Fish Market. Hopping off of a bus at 6am gave my companion and I plenty of time early enough in the morning to find the market still active, even after it's early rising hours of nearly 3am.

One of the main items always associated with Japan is of course Sushi, and Tsukiji is where the majority of that fish product in the area starts. From there countless fresh fish and sushi restaurants have opened up all around. Not just restaurants either. Everything from cooking utensils to dried fish to souvenirs are also sold around the area. Being the largest fish market in Japan, Tsukiji often gets loads of foreign visitors daily. So many, in fact, that in 2005 the market began closing off portions of the operations to the public (specifically the Tuna auctions) because foreigners were disrupting the workers.



"Why would anyone want to visit a fish market?" were my first thoughts, but after I gathered a bit more curiosity I decided it might be something interesting to do. The number of foreigners there actually amazed me, even though I had been told beforehand that the market attracted many. It was just another outdoor warehouse to me at first, after all.

Starting off, I felt as though I didn't belong, or that I wasn't allowed to venture into some of the areas further off the main roads and more into the fish market shops. I felt I was intruding, or out of place. It didn't seem like the kind of environment anyone except for the workers themselves were supposed to be in, the same as it would be if I were to walk in on a corporate business meeting just to observe.



Soon after, however, I was comforted in a very strange way by a man working a booth full of shrimp. He had noticed my thoughtful looks at the overly large fish, and while I was snapping a few photographs, he decided to greet me. Coming in front of the booth, he used his slim knowledge of English to say "Shrimp!" and "Big!" while pointing. After I nodded, in the blink of an eye, he had picked up a particular shrimp (still alive I was sure) and proceeded to shove it directly into my face with a very proud proclamation of "TASTYYYYYY" in Japanese. I couldn't say I was anything less than extremely startled, and laughed nervously as I backed slowly away. Well, at least he had my attention.
Immediately after, from directly behind, two small Japanese girls were declaring their amazement at how delicious something was. As I turned, I realized they had bitten the heads off of two live shrimp and eaten them. After my initial surprise, I wondered if that was really a safe thing to do, but didn't want to test that theory.



Speaking of girls, or women maybe, the only women I saw the entire time were working in small secluded booths throughout the warehouse, behind stalls of fish displays. They were like the "secretaries", taking calls, calculating numbers, communicating with the men on the floor cutting and selling the fish. Well I have to admit, I wouldn't want to be working that floor all day either. It was a mistake already to have worn shoes I cared about!