TOKYO FISH MARKET
origin,
It is said that “ Uogashi” or a riverside fish market dates back to the 16th Century, the beginning of the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and Builder of Edo as is now Tokyo, invited fishermen from Tokudaijima, Osaka and gave them privilege for fishing in order to let them supply seafood to Edo Castle.
The fishermen purveyed fish to the Castle and sold the remains near the Nihonbashi Bridge. It was the origin of Uogashi. Then, to meet the growing demand for fish with the increase in population, Nihonbashi Uogashi was reformed and developed into a market. The market was lead by wholesale merchants licensed by the Shogunate who bought fish from local ports, sold them to jobbers in the market and thus built up a large fortune, forming their own distribution network.
Vegetable markets handling vegetables gathered in the suburb of Edo were established in Kanda, Senju and Komagome, the three big vegetable markets. The markets attained prosperity led by wholesalers and jobbers like fish markets. During the Edo period, the market price was determined chiefly by negotiated transactions between sellers and buyers. Public auctions were hardly taken place except in vegetable markets. In the Meiji and Taisho eras, the privileges of wholesale merchants were abolished. In 1923 some 20 private markets in Tokyo were destroyed almost completely by the Great Kanto Earthquake.
After the earthquake, Tokyo City as it then undertook to construct a central wholesale market on the bases of the Central Wholesale Market Law that had been promulgated in the same year. As a result, the three markets of Tsukiji, Kana, and Koto were founded and the growing population then led to a succession of new markets.
Three drawings by Mori Kazan
1) Boats of fish dealers near Nihonbashi Bridge at the beginning of the Edo period.
2) Fishing boats poured in from various parts of Japan and a sort of fish market was formed. ( Nihonbashi bridge in the Edo period)
3) Price fixing by wholesalers and jobbers in the late Edo period.
Source text: “ Nihonbashi-Uogashi” published by the Wholesalers Co. operative of Tokyo Fish Market.
24 Hours
Tokyo Central Wholesale Market, ” a Kitchen for 12-Million people in Tokyo” is playing a vital role in the distribution of perishable food for the Metropolitan citizens.
At 05:00 p.m. the market begins to receive goods. Fresh food and others pour in from various parts of the world by truck, planes, and ships until late at night. Receiving (late at night)
At 03:00 a.m. before daybreak, wholesalers lay out the goods in preparation for the start of the auction. Before the auction, jobbers carefully examine the quality of the goods and estimate the price. Preliminary inspection (03:00a.m.)
At 06:00 a.m. the auction of tuna starts. “ How much do you bid?” .The auctioneers of wholesale firms ask in a loud voice. Answering this, a lot of jobbers and authorized buyers bid against each other. The goods received on the sell out within the day. Auction (06:00 – 07:00)
At 07:00 a.m. goods priced at auction were taken away immediately by the jobbers. They carry the goods they have bought to their own stalls and lay them put so that caterers and other purchasers can buy them easily. Jobbers (07:00-11:00)
At 08:00 a.m. retailors load the goods which they have bought at auction or from jobbers into their trucks and carry them to their shops in town. Between 08:00 an 10:00 a.m. so many people come and go around the market that is awfully crowded. Loading (08:00-10:00)
At 11:00 a.m. jobbers begin to tidy up their shops. The closing time is drawing.
At 01:00 p.m. at the peak of activity in the metropolis, the market has a short quiet time of rest. Meanwhile, the market is cleaned out. Heaps of Styrofoam are heat-treated and recycled. The finish is watering by tank trucks. The market is now cleaned up and ready for the next transactions. Cleaning by a sprinkler (01:00 p.m.)
The central wholesale market, in the center of the distribution, is devoted to supporting the diet and life of the citizens day and night.
Welcome to Tsukiji Market!
On-Sight Observations:
• The auction takes starts from 06:00 am and ends before 07:00 am.
• Buyers have their names in front of their Cap. The seller reads the name of the bid winner and writes it down on his board.
• Buyers do not talk, they signal using their fingers to speak with the seller when offering better prices.
• Sellers do not use microphones and only shoat while standing on a bench to see everyone, they do not use load speakers in the area, to avoid any inconvenience for other auction events held nearby.
• The event is a very organized, efficient and real Win-Win experience for Buyers and Sellers, lasts in less than one hour.
• Distribution starts at 07:00 am to the city of Tokyo to prepare Fresh Sushi in different places for the day.
Tokyo Fish Market
It is said that “ Uogashi” or a riverside fish market dates back to the 16th Century, the beginning of the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and Builder of Edo as is now Tokyo, invited fishermen from Tokudaijima, Osaka and gave them privilege for fishing in order to let them supply seafood to Edo Castle. The fishermen purveyed fish to the Castle and sold the remains near the Nihonbashi bridge.