Tsukiji Is Moving!

I read in the news this morning that the Tsukiji market will be moving in November of this year.  I took this in reading the Economist Espresso this morning.  It surprised my how sad I felt as I read the news.  I also immediately thought that I was happy I had returned to Japan last summer with my wife and children.  They will have seen that iconic market at least once before it moves to the Toyosu area and gets renamed the Toyosu Shin Shijo.

For the next ten months Tsukiji becomes, more than ever, one of the must see places in Tokyo.  For so many reasons.

It gets you out of bed early!
It is an incredibly exciting and busy place where you need to watch your every step as wholesalers move the fish around in their gas-powered trolleys
It smells like the sea and you'll never see so much of the amazing fruits of the ocean in one place (sadly, yes, we are overfishing)
You can have the freshest sushi in the morning for breakfast and walk some cool narrow alleys serving all kinds of other delicious nibbles
Walk down to the docks and see the Sumida River - a working river
A short ten minute (less!) walk away is one of the quietest and most beautiful gardens in Tokyo, the Hama-Rikyu Gardens where, in contrast to the wild market, you will not believe you are in the middle of a city of over 30 million people.  What a contrast and so very Japanese
By noon you will have experienced two very unique Tokyo experiences
Go grab lunch in the Ginza
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

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