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Published: December 10th 2007
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Tsukiji
By the time we'd gotten there (7:30 am) this place had been hopping for 4 and a half hours So this weekend I finally packed up and headed out to - what felt like - the tropical paradise of Tokyo for a weekend adventure and 'Thanksgiving Dinner'.
Friday night I took the last train out of Tsuru to Tokyo (midnight on the orient express? Is that PC?). I made it to Tokyo around 0 dark thirty (12:30 am), met Courtney and Jenny (who had come with us to Fuji Q Highland), and we ended up going to bed around 2 am. This is important to keep in mind, because the next morning we woke up at a brisk 6 am!
Now, before I continue, I need to apologize to my dad. I don't know HOW I missed this, but I offer my most remorseful, heart-felt apologies that we did not go to this place when you were out here. You really will have to come out here again to see this. However, I will make up for it at Christmas... honestly.
For those of you who don't know, Tukiji is the giant, famous fish market in Tokyo, to put it mildly. The way it goes is the market officially opens at 3 am, and the Japanese's latest
attempt to completely empty the ocean of fish comes into the harbor and is unloaded. At 5 am all the vendors flood the market to participate in the auctioning of the fish, finish up the auctions around 7, and then the vendors go about cutting up the fish and vending, as vendors are wont to do.
Here is a wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market . It is worth checking out!!!
Now, that description is exactly what goes on, but does not do this market justice. it is ENORMOUS and AMAZING. To get to the part of the market where they're selling the fish you have to cross streets full of cars and trucks loading and unloading and driving around to get their fish (and assorted parts) to where they need to be. Once you get to where the vendors are, there are aisles in which you can walk, but people are still running things back and forth and riding bikes and carts through the aisles to get whatever they're holding to wherever its going. There is absolutely NO place to stand! The second you stop moving you are in someone's way. I realize this is the stereotype for Tokyo lifestyle,
Tsukiji
Those boxes are ALL full of fresh fish!! but this is really where the stereotype comes from. Times like this I enjoy playing the ignorant foreigner card so I can stand around without getting yelled at TOO much.
The best part though, is that you can walk anywhere you want. You can walk from the street out in front of the market through all the loading areas and even to the bay out behind the market if you want. Everyone is hurrying and working so hard that they do not seem to have time to tell you not to go somewhere. Again, so long as you're not in someone's way, you're not going to get yelled at.
This is not your average farmer's market. This is an enormous market dealing with industrial-size fish. As such, puny 12-inch chef's knives will not do the job to cut these bad boys up. They use giant saws and knives that span up to a meter long in order to portion the fish out. The video of the guy carving the fish is one of my favorites!
The best part, other than being able to buy fish that came from but spitting distance away, is that all the local
Tsukiji Knives
There are plenty of food/kitchen supply/knife stores in the local area. We could not have gotten more excited EVERY time we saw a knife shop. sushi shops (of course) get their fish from the market! If I had a kitchen I could have cooked in, I would have bought some of the fresh fish, but we settled for going to a local restaurant. We got a 14 piece platter for about $16, fresh out of the ocean, and I even got to taste whale! (I hope no one's too offended by that.. If you are... well, it was tasty. Sorry)
After that we went shopping and basically avoided taking any manner of rest, so that by the time we went to the dinner we were exhausted. The much-awaited (by me at least) "thanksgiving dinner" was more like a general celebration to make up for thanksgiving with an interesting mix of thanksgiving-esque and japanese food. Also, it was kind of a meet-and-greet so that Japanese students who wanted to go abroad to a UC could talk to us and get some information. Unfortunately I was so tired, I wasn't much for socializing, but rest assured I did eat my fare share of free food.
Sunday we went shopping in Harajuku and Asakuza, and upon returning my bag was very heavy with souvenirs. Shani and
I had to book it back to Tsuru in order to study for the final we had today (monday). That went ok. I still have three reports to write, I have to arrange to have my bags shipped to Tokyo before my flight, and I have to clean up my apartment to be inspected - So I have my work cut out for me to say the least.
Right now, since my brain is preoccupied with errands, That is about all I can say about this weekend right now. I feel like I should leave some reflections, but I think that it will be better to do that once I get back to the states (especially since I don't have time to do much reflectin' right now). In place of reflections, how about.... lists!!
Things I will NOT Miss
COLD WEATHER
Squid and natto (fermented soy beans)
Waiting for the train in the cold at Otsuki Station
For that matter, the Thomas The Tank Engine train
Japanese-style Italian/American/Mexican food
Not being able to read menus
The inexcusable and heinous lack of fencing in yamanashi
Things I WILL Miss (a lot!)
Amazing, cheap food
Riding trains (except for
Tsukiji
One of the intersections in the middle of the market going to/from Otsuki station... I hate that station! Ugh. Thomas the Tank Engine train to/from Otsuki... http://www.nope.com to that)
Not having to tip in restaurants
Living 2 hours away from Tokyo
My amazing friends, of course!!
Speaking Japanese all the time
Seeing Mt. Fuji every once in a while
Awesome convenience stores
Japanese Food
My friends
Japanese Food
My friends
Japanese Food
So I thought that those lists would have a little bit more variety, but I guess the things I'm going to miss most are the food and the people. What does that say about me?.... Does it say I like to eat people? I hope not., because that is certainly not the case.
At this point I realize that I feel like I have been living here forever, and the people in California who are used to seeing me basically feel the same way. It hasn't even been half a year though! It is an interesting feeling wanting to both go home and stay here.
At any rate, before I can worry about coming back, I have to worry about leaving - which means finishing my papers!!! See you all soon! (If people let me
Tsukiji
Inside the market. The machine in front is one of these funny little carts they drive around - there is a bed in the back and they steer with the wheel on the top. leave Tsuru......)
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