17. Tsukiji, The Market Town

Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple is the symbol of the town. This building was built in 1934.

My grandfather worked at Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market at Tsukiji. 

The market consisted of two areas: inside and outside market.

The inside market was the main part, where many small shops sold various kinds of fishes to professional cooks or shop owners. 

While, the outside market held many stores to sell commodities and miscellaneous foods to not only professional but amateur buyers, such as neighbours and tourists. 

Though the inside market moved to Toyosu three years ago, people come to Tsukiji to enjoy shopping and eating in the outside market.

Each shop has very limited space, that is because specialized items are sold there.

A shop sells sweet omelette only, another shop offers a variety kinds of knives. 

A sweet omelette shop was originally for sushi restaurants, but now attracts tourists.

This is a knives shop. The long ones are to cut tunas. I remember my grandfather had one as long as my height.

Kitchen utensils store.

This shop sells imported tea, coffee, and chocolates for reasonable prices.

There are small eating places as well.

I enjoyed eating Chinese or Japanese noodles whenever I went to Tsukiji. However, they have been replaced by sushi restaurants.

Tsukiji had attracted many overseas tourists until the Covid-19 pandemic.

I hope the vaccination brings positive outcome and tourists will come back to Tsukiji, too.