Tsukiji Fish Market

This morning we finally made it to the fish market, and it was
absolutely wild. We got off the subway and were immediately in front
of a large, indian looking Buddhist Temple. Not even this magnificent
ancient shrine could distract me from the task at hand: consume the
freshest fish in the world.

After wading through the vendors on the outskirts, we finally got
inside the market proper. As you approach this huge metal structure
resembling an airplane hangar, hundreds of mini forklifts are whizzing
everywhere, dodging pedestrians, bicyclists, and tiny trucks. We
really felt frightened by all the hectic driving. Once we crossed the
lots of trucks, we found the wholesale vendors selling everything you
could ever imagine from the sea. Tentacles, squid, enormous tuna,
grouper, flounder, and a thousand things I thought I would only see on
the Discovery channel surrounded us in styrofoam crates. We sloshed
through the rows of fish, catching glimpses of live blowfish (the
poison ones I think), crazy octopus, shrimp the size of your head, and
all manner of shellfish. Workers were cutting 4 foot long frozen tuna
with bandsaws like they were wood boards. Unfortunately, I only
stopped to take a couple photos, as stopping meant getting yelled at
in japanese by the forklift drivers and other shoppers. We saw only
one or two other tourists inside the market.

Having worked up an appetite, I found the nearest sashimi stand and
purchased a meal ticket from a vending machine. I exchanged it for a
large bowl of salmon sashimi on rice, with some egg pieces thrown in
for good measure. As we sat on the sidewalk, I proceeded to torch the
back of my brain with wasabi. Several Japanese even stopped to take
pictures of my `wasabi face`. It was the best breakfast I have ever
had.

Weary from the 6 am wake up, we trekked back to our Ryokan and had a
big nap. It was so windy that one of the windows on the second floor
shattered. We have no plans for the rest of the evening, but I am
sure we will cook something fun up.

We miss you all!!!

Scott and Christie