Misbehaving tourists at the world’s largest seafood market in Tokyo has gaining media attention. As the misbehave increases Tokyo fishmongers last month decided to put their foot down, temporarily banning visitors from one of the city’s most popular tourist destinations —- their predawn tuna auctions. But earlier this month the ban was lifted and now the tourists are back.
Yoshiaki Takagi, the deputy director of the market, informed that they understand that the sight of hundreds of frozen tuna looks unique and interesting for foreign tourists. He added that they also have to understand the Tsukiji market is a professional place, not an amusement park.
The sprawling Tsukiji market dates back to the 16th century, when the military rulers of that time wanted to ensure they had a proper channel to get enough fish to their hungry vassals at the nearby castle. It is fact that Japan is the world’s biggest consumer of seafood. The market handles 480 kinds of seafood, bringing around 40,000 buyers and sellers daily. The value of its seafood trade amounts to 1.8 billion yen ($20 million) per day on average, making it the heart of the national seafood distribution system and the biggest fish wholesale market in the world.
Here fish are auctioned off traditionally by men in rubber boots and baseball hats using arcane hand signals, and the sheer volume and variety of fish available there every day, it has become a big hit with foreigners. According to Takagi nearly 90 percent of visitors for tuna auctions are non-Japanese.
Takagi informed that tuna is a very expensive fish, one tuna can easily cost more than 1 million yen ($11,000). But some tourists touch them and even try to hug them, says Takagi. Fed with all these the market decided to impose a ban on visitors to tuna auctions for its peak season at New Year’s. After the ban was lifted, the market began distributing leaflets in five languages at the entrance of the auction site. Along with the no-flash warning, they tell visitors to stay within the observation area and leave promptly after the auctions, which open at 5.
