Tsukiji

My first order of the day was to make my way to the Tsukiji Outer Market for breakfast. Tsukiji is a shadow of itself ever since the wholesale market moved to Toyosu, but there still are a fair number of food stalls in the morning. After clearing immigration, I made my way to the Tokyo Monorail and transferred to the Oedo line to get to Tsukiji. The food outlets were only just opening up when I got there at 7.30am. After a bit of wandering, I chose a small, quiet stall with local patrons, and I had a soul warming crab soup there. After that, I wandered about a bit more and had grilled scallops and grilled squid. One key change I noticed was that prices have shot up, especially for shellfish.

One new development I noted at Tsukiji is that more stalls now had an area with tables to sit down and eat. Stalls that did not have tables had designated spaces for patrons to stand and eat. There were also signs telling people to not walk and eat. I knew that eating while walking was considered rude in Japan, but this is the first time I noticed this enforced anywhere.Read more