Food Sake Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market Tour

Tsukiji Market, the world’s largest seafood market, is in the heart of Tokyo. It is a short walk from the glitzy Ginza shopping district and just minutes from the renovated Kabukiza theater. It’s one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist destinations with visitors. And, it is our most popular tour that our company, Food Sake Tokyo, offers. Shinji, a Japanese fishmonger, used to be a buyer at Tsukiji Market so he offers an insider’s perspective to the market.

Here, Shinji is being interviewed by food journalist Steve Dolinsky at Tsukiji, for Public Radio International. It’s an insight to the sights and sounds of Tsukiji:

http://www.theworld.org/2013/04/biggest-fish-market/

Tsukiji Market is scheduled to move to Toyosu, a few kilometers down along Tokyo Bay. Another reason to come and see this historic market before it moves.

Shinji is able to talk about all of the seasonal seafood, how it’s prepared, and what it the texture is like. Shinji’s tour focuses on the inner market which is the wholesale area for seafood. It is here that he worked as a buyer. It’s a crazy place to navigate and to really understand what is here and what is what, you need a guide who understands Japanese seafood.

One thing you will notice is that there is no stinky fish smell that you find at most fish markets. The fishmongers are very careful to clean and wash down each stall when they close down shop.

At the sushi counter Shinji is able to make recommendations on unique seafood that you most likely won’t be able to try at home. He can also help to demystify the culture of dining at a sushi-ya. This time of year we are crazy for kinmédai, alfonsino, which is a pink fleshed fish. The best kinmédai, are harvested from the shallow waters near Chōshi port in Chiba. Steve Dolinsky writes about having kinmédai and includes a photo here.

I have to say, most fishmongers are very friendly and have big smiles – just like this one!

I also offer tours of Tsukiji Market. The focus of my tour is the outer market which is open to the general public. It is filled with stalls selling produce, pickles, prepared foods, tea, knives, and much more. We are enjoying tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) on a stick. Reminds me of the Minnesota State Fair – the food on a stick part.

I also take clients into the inner market so that they can get a feel for the heart of the market. Here we are looking at fish killed by a special ikéjimé process.

The many stalls of the inner market – and the perfect spot for a photo.

There is lots to discover at Tsukiji, including learning about herring roe in a sac, and herring roe that has been laid on a piece of kombu, komochi kombu.

The view everyone loves – overlooking the inner market and Tokyo Bay.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tokyo and to Tsukiji Market. Here are more details on our tours.

* A special thanks to our clients for letting us share their photos with you.

Popular Donburi in Japan 日本の丼

Oyako-don from Tamahide in Ningyocho

Donburi 丼 are simple and fast meal. It is a large bowl of hot rice with toppings. We often make it for lunch as it is not only easy to assemble, but also easy to clean up after the meal. Many restaurants often serve donburi at lunchtime as an affordable option, often just “one coin” or 500 yen. There are restaurants that specialize in donburi like Yoshinoya (beef) or my personal favorite, Tenya (tempura). Many restaurants in the outer market of Tsukiji will sell seafood donburi, which is usually what we make at home as we often have fresh sashimi in the house.

One of Tokyo’s most famous donburi dishes is the oyako-don, literally “mother and child”, from Tamahide in Ningyocho. Tamahide is a fifth generation shop that serves chicken and eggs in a savory soy broth. The restaurant is so popular that I’ve never seen it without a line out the front door. Creamy half-cooked scrambled eggs dotted with juicy chicken is a comfort food dish in Japan.

The kanji for donburi is easy to recognize on any menu. 丼 As you can see here, it almost looks like a dish with something inside of it.

From the Asahi newspaper, here is a list of popular donburi in Japan.

1. katsu-don – tonkatsu

2. una-don – unagi

3. kaisen-don – fresh seafood

4. ten-don – tempura (usually shrimp)

5. oyako-don – chicken and eggs

6. gyu-don – thinly sliced beef in a soy broth

7. chuka-don – Chinese-style, often stir-fried meat and vegetables

8. tekka-don – maguro sashimi

9. uni-don – uni sea urchin

10. ikura-don – ikura salmon roe

11. kakiage-don – tempura

12. tentsu-don – Chinese-style omelet with vegetables covered in a thick, slightly sweet and tart sauce

13. anago-don – anago

14. tamago-don – raw egg

15. shirasu-don – baby boiled anchovies

16. yamakake-don – grated yamaimo and maguro sashimi

17. ma-bo-don – Chinese ma-bo- dofu (a spicy tofu and ground beef mixture)

18. buta-don – grilled pork

19. yakiniku-don – grilled beef

20. others

2013 Tsukiji Market Record Tuna by Numbers

2013 Hon-Maguro Tuna sold at Tsukiji Auction

photo by Ken Banwell

This fresh tuna is a hon-maguro from Ohma in Aomori prefecture in the northern part of Japan. Ohma hon-maguro is considered by many to be the very best specimen of tuna in the world. It was sold on Saturday, January 5th, 2013, the first day that Tsukiji Market was open in the new year.

• sold for 155,400,000 JPY or roughly $1.76 million US Dollars
• this year’s tuna weighed 222 kg.
• last year’s tuna sold for 56,490,000 JPY
• last year’s tuna weighed 269 kg.
• last year’s tuna was 210,000 JPY per kg.
• this year’s tuna was 700,000 JPY per kg.
• Yes, this year’s tuna was 3 times the price of last year’s record selling tuna
• the tuna was caught by a 36-year old fisherman, Takeuchi-san on December 29, 2012
• his father caught the tuna that was sold at a record price at Tsukiji Market 12 years ago
• it is the first time a father and son have both caught the record winning tuna on the first day of the new year
• Takeuchi-san will receive $1.37 million US Dollars after the wholesaler takes it’s cut
• his wife asked for a new washing machine and backpacks for their three kids
• this year’s record winning tuna was purchased by Kimura-san of Sushi Zanmai
• Sushi Zanmai is a restaurant chain with 48 stores in Japan
• Here is the link to the Sushi Zanmai site with photos of the tuna at the store.
• at the price the tuna was bought, one piece of sushi should cost 40-50,000 JPY
• but, a piece of oo-toro from this fish was selling for only 398 JPY at the store
• On Jan. 5th at Tsukiji Market, there was 654 fresh tuna at the auction.
• On Jan 5th at Tsukiji Market, there were only 4 fresh hon-maguro from Ohma.
• The other three sold for about 28,000 – 43,000 JPY per kg.

The tuna auction is off limits to visitors from Dec. 1 to Jan. 21st. This photo was taken by New Zealander Ken Banwell who is a tuna importer. Ken is one of very few non-Japanese who was at the auction on the morning of January 5th, 2013. Ken graciously shared this photo with us.

Ken is the author of a beautiful photo book on Tsukiji Market, The Fish Market. The Fish Market is available at the bookstore at Tsukiji Market Yokocho bookstore and online at this link. The book documents the auction and is all the more valuable as the market is scheduled to move to Toyosu in March of 2015.

Tsukiji Market Move to Toyosu Extended to March of 2015

FNN News in Japan has reported that Tsukiji Market’s move to Toyosu has been extended one more year to March, 2015. Part of the delay is due to the amount of time that is needed to clean the soil in the new location. While the move was scheduled for sometime in 2014 it’s been pushed back one year. Good news for all of us as the new location is very inconvenient to get to for visitors as it is located on the Yurikamome monorail. The current location is a short walk from the nearest station and a comfortable stroll to Ginza.

Here is the FNN News video (in Japanese).

Tsukiji Market Cheap Eats – Tenfusa Tempura

One of my indulgent breakfasts at Tsukiji Market is tempura anago at Tenfusa. Tenfusa is on the same block of restaurants as the popular Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi. While crowds of people queue for a rushed sushi breakfast I like to slide right by them, push aside the noren and slide open the door to this tiny shop. Only two tables that seat four and a counter for five. The walls are filled with signatures of Japanese celebrities who have dined here. There are two staff, the tempura master who for the most part stands guard over the hot pot of oil. His assistant (perhaps his wife?) takes orders, brings out the dishes, and collects money at the end of the meal.

This morning the other diners are all fishmongers. How do I know? They are all wearing the official gear of fishmongers: knee-high rubber boots.

My order is always the same, anago don teishoku, the set meal of tempura anago over rice, pickles, and tofu. The dish includes two long pieces of anago in a crispy tempura batter that is drizzled with a sweet soy dressing. The contrast of the juicy eel to the crispy batter is what makes this dish so appealing. It is delivered as soon as it comes out of the oil so it is always piping hot.

Shrimp tempura here is also very popular. Hanging on the wall the menu is written on tall, narrow blackboards. While anago and shrimp are the most popular items, you can also add seafood like megochi, haze, or kisu. Vegetable tempura options here today included eggplant, sweet potato, asparagus, kabocha pumpkin, shishito pepper, and renkon lotus root.

While most visitors to Tsukiji Market want to have sushi for breakfast, for those of us who go frequently it’s nice to have a variety of other foods to choose from. Tenfusa anago tempura is hands down my favorite.

Tenfusa

Tsukiji 5-2-1, Building #6

(03-3547-6766)

http://www.tsukijigourmet.or.jp/24_tenfusa/index.htm (Japanese – with good photos)

Tsukiji Market Cheap Eats – Toritoh Chicken

While many come to Tsukiji Market for sushi, I prefer to have warm dishes first thing in the morning. There is a wide variety of restaurants offering up more than just raw fish. Toritoh is both a restaurant and a retail shop. The retail shop in the outer market that sells both raw and cooked chicken. The restaurant is just around the corner from the retail shop. It’s a tiny restaurant that seats six at the counter and about ten at tables in the back. 

Kara-agé is Japanese fried chicken. This version fries the chicken and then quickly dips it in a sweet soy broth before putting over a bowl of rice topped with sauteed bean sprouts. It is served with a simple chicken broth, tofu, and pickles.

The signature dish of this shop is oyakodon, literally “mother and child rice bowl”, or chicken and eggs over rice. 親子丼

The counter overlooks the open kitchen. On the stove there are several pots used specifically for cooking the chicken and eggs for oyakodon.
Other dishes on the menu include yakitori over rice, chicken katsu (cutlets) and curry, and an interesting dish of bonjiri which is the fatty tissue near the tail end of the chicken.

Click here for photos of the dishes and a map to both the restaurant and the retail shop.

Toritoh

Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 4-8-6

03-3543-6525

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Tsukiji Market Cheap Eats

Where to have sushi at Tsukiji

 

7:30 – 14:30

Tsukiji Cheap Eats – Orimine Bakers

Tokyo is filled with many wonderful bakeries. I have favorites throughout the city including Viron, Gontran Cherrier, and Maison Kayser. As the city is so big it’s a good to have a knowledge of where the great bakeries are as you never know when you’ll find yourself in an area with great bread. Orimine Bakers is a shop to keep in mind if you find yourself near Tsukiji Market of Higashi-Ginza.

 

On a side street leading up to Tsukiji Market is this quaint bakery. I felt like I was back in New York City when I walked up to the bakery. It reminded me of the Magnolia Bakery in the West Village with its awning. The green bicycle parked in front of the green storefront for some reason also felt like New York City to me.

I was first fascinated by this shop when I saw the seafood “oyatsu pan” breads they produce including this iidako (octopus) focaccia with tomato sauce, a taste of the Mediterranean. Other interesting breads include a grilled mackerel sandwich, grilled salmon sandwich, smoked salmon sandwich, as well as a variety of pastries.

There is a wide variety of oyatsu pan (sweet and savory snack breads), sandwiches, croissants, and pan de mie. The friendly staff can help you to pick from their wide selection.

I loved this shirasu foccacia with shiso and sesame seeds.

Orimine Bakers is a short walk from Tsukiji Market. Most visitors to the market will take their breakfast or lunch at Tsukiji. However, it’s convenient to pick up some bread from Orimine Bakers for later in the day. Orimine Bakers also has a second shop near Morishita station.

Orimine Bakers
Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 7-10-11 中央区築地7-10-11営
hours: 7:00 – 19:00

closed Wednesdays

Phone: 03-6228-4555

http://www.oriminebakers.com

 

Tsukiji Market Tuna Auction Closed Until January 21

The end of the year brings on the biggest sales for many food and beverage companies in Japan. In particular, Tsukiji Market is extremely busy in December and the beginning of January. The market has announced that the tuna auction is closed for this time of year and will reopen to the public on January 21. Until that time the outer market is still open to the public. Click here for the market calendar through the end of the year to see which days to avoid. Here is the Tsukiji Market 2013 calendar.

 

 

Tsukiji Market Move to Toyosu in 2014

NHK reports on the evening news that it has been decided that the world’s largest seafood market, Tsukiji Market, will move to Toyosu in 2014. While the information in this brochure is in Japanese, if you scroll down you can see sketches of what the future market will look like. Space has been reserved to allow for tourists to overlook the market (I believe on a higher level so as not to get in the way of the workers). There will also be a shopping area and restaurants for the tourists. The link to the brochure above also has a map showing the current location and where the new market will be. As you can see, it is not very far from the current location.

 

Tsukiji Market Calendar 2013

Kibun Satsuma-age (fish cakes)

UPDATE as of 1/2/2013: Tsukiji Market move to Toyosu has been pushed back one year to March of 2015.

If you are planning to visit Tsukiji Market in 2013 it is best to consult the official market calendar here and avoid days highlighted in red or purple:

http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/calendar/2013.html#tabs-1

New rules for visiting tuna auction are stated here:

http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/english/market/tsukiji.html

There is a lot to see in the outer market and that is open to the general public. It has become a very popular destination and is very busy on Saturdays. Of course there are plenty of good restaurants that are open to the public. Some of my favorites are here:

Sushi at Tsukiji

Cheap Eats at Tsukiji Market