What’s going to happen to Tsukiji Market in November?

TOKYO — Regular visitors to Tokyo would have heard by now that the city’s famed Tsukiji fish market is on the move, and to a less easily accessible location. The good news is that there is no need to make a hasty last minute nostalgic dash to sample the day’s catch before it is moved.

This is because it is only the inner market, or Jonai Shijo, where the actual wholesale market and frenzied tuna auctions take place, that is moving. The general public is allowed restricted entry here in any case. Each day, there are only 120 places allocated for visitors on a first-come-first-served basis to attend the auctions, and you need to queue from three in the morning. Other visitors without a ticket can only enter from 9am. While there are a few sushi restaurants within this market, everything shuts down by noon.

The move of the inner market is not expected to make much of a difference to the popularity of the outer market, or Jogai Shijo, which will remain as is. This is the area where most tourists flock to anyway, as only the very dedicated would be bothered to catch the action at the early morning fish auctions.

On a recent visit here, there was no sense of a diminution of activity and enthusiasm on the part of the shop owners, and most have indicated that they will stay after the inner market has moved. One of the “backbones” of the outer market is the Sushizanmai sushi chain, owned by the flamboyant Kiyoshi Kimura, which has a couple of restaurants here (one of which is open 24 hours). Their commitment to staying can only attest to the enduring popularity of the Jogai Shijo. The cherubic Kimura is best known for snapping up the best catch at the first auction of every year at the market, and usually happily parting with record-breaking sums for it.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, as the market is officially known, is slated to be moved to spanking new facilities built on a plot of reclaimed land in Toyosu, only about 3km south of the present location. The controversial and much-debated move in November is considered necessary as the current premises is considered outdated, and has space and sanitation problems. After the move, it will be gutted and a road will be built in its place that will connect the city centre with the venues of the 2020 Olympics.