One night in Tokyo was too little, I had to make full use of my time there. With a flight to catch at 11:30am the next day to Sapporo, I suggested we visit the Tsukiji Fish Market ridiculously early in the morning!

All nodded in agreement, and then nodded off to sleep.

I set the alarm for 4:50am so we could all get covered up for the cold winter morning and head down to Tsukiji to watch hustle bustle of the morning fish trade. But alas, all bailed and opted to sleep in. Me not wanting to waste the opportunity, quietly tip toed out of the room and got concierge to order me a taxi there.

Tsukiji was amazing and definitely one of my highlights for the entire trip. I really wanted to visit this market, and had one of the best morning walks in a long time. More so because I was experiencing this solo which just gave me a total sense of independence and excitement, coupled with the fear and anxiety of getting lost.

Meandering through 1600 stalls selling everything from large blue fin tune, crabs, eels, salmon, shell fish and sea urchins, I was snapping with my camera like there was no tomorrow.

Oh the colours in the photos that came out from that morning was fantastic! At times, I would just put the camera down and just watch the men at work, carefully dissecting a huge tuna which such skill and precision, carving out the flesh close to the bone it’s an art skill by itself.

Tuna Auction
When you go to Tsukiji, you must see the Tuna auction, which takes place in a large warehouse at the back of the market.

Tourists access to the tuna auction is limited. When they say limited, it just means you’re not allowed in the trading area. But you still can see all the action from the side of the room which has been cordoned off for tourists. If there are too many tourists around, observation is limited to 10minutes.

How to get there
If you just want to see the market in action it is much cheaper to just take the first train (underground) in the morning a little past 5AM to Oedo Line Tsukiji-seijo, or Hibiya Line Tsukiji, but this is a little further away.

From Wikitravel

Travellers Tips

• It being a fish market, the grounds are slippery. So be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Leave your suedes and heels at home.
• Travel light and small. The lanes are not very wide, lugging around a huge bag can be cumbersome and obstructive.
• The market is extremely busy, just be mindful this is someone’s livelyhood and they have a job to do. Try your best to stay out of the way.
• Actions frops off after 8am
• Flash photography inside the auction area is prohibited.

Try a sushi breakfast at Tsukiji. The fish is guaranteed to be as fresh as possible and the prices, while not cheap, are surprisingly affordable given the extraordinary quality – figure on ¥2000-¥3000 for an omakase set of whatever is good today. For comparison, a meal of a similar caliber in the Ginza would easily cost over ¥10,000.

Tsukiji’s restaurants can be found in alleys of Building 6, reached by walking in from the main entrance and turning right at the central square. The sushi joints make a point of serving only fresh fish that has never been frozen.

From WikiTravel

*Updated
Here’s a short video I’ve put together with the footage I have.

Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場 Tsukiji-shijō)
Address: 5-2-1 Tsukiji (Tsukijishijo Station, Toei Oedo Subway),
Opening Hours:
Outer Market 5 AM-1 PM, Wholesale Market 9 AM-1 PM
Tuna Auction 5 AM-6:15 AM; closed Sundays, holidays, and the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

Just a couple of clips and a good tune.

Been wakeboarding a fair bit these past few months, and instead of just pictures, here’s a video montage of the thrills and spills….in reverse!

*update
Just realised the video is 5mins long! Perhaps I should cut it down. Will do that tonight.

*update update
Darn it, got a notification on the use of music track on my video. Anyone know how to get around it? Mix-up the tracks a bit?

Snippets of some videos I had in my laptop, which sort of summarises my year in 2009.

Music by Airtoe – New Year
Happy New Year Everyone!

Another meaning to Boxing Day at the Gray residences.

Mummy Vs Daddy

*updated – Didn’t realise it was on private…unlocked it now

I love both these guys! Too funny…

Filmed for the ESPN Star Sports hitsquad team.

Was just after our ride at Bukit Timah Mountain Bike trail on a Sunday. Was hot, sweaty and out of breath, GREAT for TV :/ oh dear…

Funny video. Serious topic.