Tokyo’s Iconic Tsukiji Fish Market WIll Close To Tourists…

You’ve got about 25 days left…

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing tuna that travels better than you do, your days are limited. The Tsukiji Fish Market has long been a Tokyo tourist favorite, offering the perfect place to line up at 3AM for a rare chance to catch a glimpse of the world’s most precious tuna and other fish, before they fly off in rare style to top restaurants around the world. Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, Tsukiji will close and relocate, and in the process, tourist access will too.

September 15th

Out with the old, in with the new. On September 15th, the famed Tsukiji market tuna auction will shutter its doors to tourists, ahead of the markets October 6th final closing date. There will be no tuna auction photo ops or lines to queue up in at 3AM, in hopes of landing one of the coveted slots to observe the morning auction auction ritual, which takes place daily at 5AM. From the 16th -29th of September, tourists can instead visit a separate area. The market is a fascinating look at fine food, with over 400 varieties of freshly caught seafood on offer. And for anyone that thinks it’s best to eat fish fresh out of the water, we’ve been told by top sushi chefs it’s actually better to wait a day or two, until the water has left the fish, and the salty sea taste no longer lingers. Just FYI.

New Tokyo Location

Going forward, Toyosu in Tokyo will be the site of the new “Tsukiji” fish market. The new location takes burden off of the buzzing location ahead of the 2020 Olympics, with preparations already under way. For those who are now “super bummed” to miss it on an upcoming trip, you’ll just have to come back. The new market plans to offer an observation deck for tourist visitors. We’d imagine the fishmongers were probably tired of camera phones in their faces all day, and a new viewing platform will allow business on the floor, party on the patio. We can’t really blame them…

Guess you’ll have to switch to Mario Karting…