What does the tuna make you think of? The tuna will automatically remind sushi for most Japanese, and even the enormous auction price at the very beginning of the year. The first tuna auction price is very fluid and varies each year. The highest price was 33,360,000 Yen for one tuna fish in 2019. The remarkable price came out due to the symbolic year of 2018 when the brand new Toyosu Market opened. Even though you take it into an account, this is a far crazy price for one tuna. The high price shows that tuna is so symbolic that the operating company selling sushi use this occasion for its publicity. At the same time, the tuna auction is the most iconic activity even though the whole function of the old Tsukiji market moved to Toyosu. This week I will write about how you can enjoy the auction event with the logistics and the unrecognized raffle system.
From Tsukiji to Toyosu
Before I talk about the new Toyosu Market, I have to explain a bit about the background of Tsukiji. As the name of Tsukiji in Japanese suggests, Tsukiji was newly built on land reclaimed from the sea, and in the reconstruction programme after the Great Fire of 1657, at the mouth of the Sumida River, the area was developed into a samurai estate. It was said that Honganji Temple was also damaged in the same great fire and moved to Tsukiji and that in rebuilding the temple, the Tsukuda monks reclaimed the sea and built the land.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 is said to have erased the remnants of Edo from Tokyo. The Tsukiji area was also transformed by the post-disaster reconstruction plan. The Tsukiji market came to life at the end of the war and became an unprecedentedly busy place. The Tsukiji Market, known as the "people's kitchen" and boasting the world's highest volume of seafood distribution, became the town's representative presence.
The built-up market gradually became too small due to increased trading volumes and changes in transport patterns, and the problem became more and more crucial as the years went by. After more than 30 years of discussion and twists and turns, the decision to relocate the market was taken in 2001.
The Tsukiji market has been filled with people's thoughts, starting with the post-war reconstruction. The market has been user-friendly, including the distance from the middle wholesalers' shops to the auction floor, although the Toyosu Market is superior in rationality and functionality, this is not always the case from the user's perspective.
General observation
After the shift of the Tsukiji Market to Toyosu, the access to the market and the atmosphere, everything has changed. Despite the well-thought-out temperature control of fish and the safe control, it is more difficult now to experience the realism of the auction through the five senses, such as smells and shouts.
Many claims that the Toyosu Market has lost the classical taste which Tsukiji used to have. The biggest change for tourists is how they observe the famous tuna auction. In the Toyosu Market, the wholesale and broker district is built across the street and you can hardly get down to the ground floor. All the tourists are isolated from all the activities in the buildings. Activities inside are seen from the observation windows. For the tuna auction section, a long corridor with big windows is installed to observe the activities of the auctions. The microphone picks up the sound of the ground floor, and you can hear it with speakers. But you are missing very important elements of the auction. With the smell of fish and the shouting voices, you’ll miss the essential elements which you used to enjoy at the Tsukiji Market by the isolated structure of the new Toyosu market.
Raffle entry
But it is too early to give up everything.
There is a raffle for the visitor deck so that you can enjoy the privilege if you are ready to go through the procedure. The deck is located on the 1st floor between the ground floor and the observation corridor. What you have to do is to get a place to apply for the raffle. This raffle takes place every month. You have to be prepared since it is a bit complicated and tricky.
One application allows three persons, which includes the applicant.
The ballot application for the next month opens at the beginning of the month and closes after a week or so. The result will come out in the middle of the month.
Only registered persons are allowed to enter the deck. You have to bring a copy of the approval by the raffle with your identification document. You must finalize the persons when you apply. You are not allowed to change names after that.
You must show up at the meeting place by 05:45 in the morning, and they will leave for the visitor deck at 05:50 sharply. The question is how to get there from your hotel early in the morning. I will explain later.
Wherever you stay, you must get up very early to make it. The tour starts at 05:50 and finishes around 06:30.
There is a guide who will take you down there, and explain the auction in Japanese. Inside stories are very valuable, but it is better that you should be with your guide who speaks English to understand. In this case, you need an early arrangement.
On the terrace, you can take pictures and film. You are not allowed to use any flashlights.
You can choose three possible dates from the list in your order. I got my first choice from the ballot. Around ten groups (max 3) went there the other day. It might be due to the Covid measure, and they may increase the number of groups in the near future.
Transportation
Transportation to the Toyosu Market is always a problem since it is rather isolated from major public transport. The location of your hotels also adds some restrictions because of the early morning journey to the Toyosu market. You must be at the meeting place before 05:45 in the morning. You’ll use Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, then change to Yurikamome Line at Toyosu. Then you'll get off at Ichiba Mae. If your hotel is located at Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, you must get on the subway at 05:00 and arrive at Ichiba Mae at 05:36. You always have a choice of taking a taxi. For instance, from Akasaka to the Toyosu Market, it will cost roughly 4,000 Yen in 20 minutes.
The followings are examples of train connections from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.
Ikebukuro(05:00)-Yurakucho Line-Toyosu(05:26/05:33)-Yurikamome Line-Ichiba Mae(05:36)
Shinjuku(05:00)-Toei Shinjuku Line-Ichigaya(05:06/05:12)-Yurakucho Line-Toyosu(05:26/05:33)-Ichiba Mae(05:36)
Breakfast
You might be starving when the tour is over. It is still before 07:00 in the morning, but you should have been up since 04:00. But you don’t have to worry since there are several sushi restaurants in the same building. You may think that morning sushi may be a little bit too much, but surprisingly you can eat it like lunch. Lots of sushi restaurants there are very good, and it is a good chance to try them. Most of them are so busy during lunchtime that you have to be in a queue. Also please be aware that the price is more expensive than in towns. One reasonable one that I found is “Okame”, and one of the plates “Okame Sushi” is 3,000 Yen. It is a good value. These sushi restaurants have a strong advantage, in that they are located inside the market, and can offer the freshest fish for sushi.
Finally, it’s not easy to take the best position to observe the tuna auction in Toyosu. But if you are ready to take a bit more procedure, you should have a much better experience. If you are a keen photographer, you should try the raffle. The covering glasses of the deck were cleaner, and you can even avoid the covering glass if you are tall enough. If you want to know more about the tuna auction in Toyosu, please don’t hesitate to leave a message.
#44 Tuna auction
Thanks a lot, Hideo. This is the kind of insider information one hardly comes across in official guides.