To the fishmarket and beyond

Dazed and confused but on a mission to see some big fish, I descended the elevator yesterday at 4am to meet with the gaggle of other like-minded fish seekers. Opting for the 280 yen ($2.50) train over the $20 taxi, we arrived early at the world famous Tstsukiji wholesale market and tuna auction right in the middle of all its terrific hubub...and hubub it was, as the place has about 1,000 ways to die or become dismembered in a grizzly Quentin Tarantino-esque way via hook, knife, or crazy motorized death machine. Idea for a class field trip? I think not

The greatest part of the market is just the massive amount of fish coming and going every day- about 4,000 tons are bought a sold daily for millions of yen and thus become THE fish market of Japan. We perilously walked towards the back where the tuna auction takes place. Giant tunas are brought to the area by flatbed cart eviscerated, heads on, and small 3 inch cross section of the tail removed and displayed. The buyers take photos and use flashlights to inspect the flesh and make deals. Ayn, Mike and I left the market, our shoes slightly slimed and smelling of fresh fish, in search of 6 am sushi. Savvy travellers we are, we looked for the places with the most "locals" in it, though I highly doubt that any Tsukiki market worker longs for raw fish after hauling it through the night. Instead, we sought Japanese tourists who seemed to have the 411 on where the best catch was in town. Finding one, we waited for a short time then sat down to our Chef's Omakase (chef's choice).

What, you might ask, makes Tokyo sushi different from American sushi? For one, its the lack of the ubiquitous wasabi ball aside the pickled ginger. Instead, a minute amount of wasabi is found in almost all the rolls, nigiri. Second is the raw shrimp....now this shrimp isn't just raw, it's "just-dead", as live shrimp are kept on the sushi line. At the time of each order, sushi chef pops off their heads, shells them and sticks them on a piece of rice. The heads are grilled and given to you near the end of the meal. This preparation, though pretty gruesome now that I think about it, produced the FRESHEST shrimp I've ever tasted and lest you think eating a grilled shrimp head is gross, you've never really tasted a grilled shrimp head...Our team of intrepid diners weren't sure which one we liked more... Another is the size of the pieces of fish. These were no one-bite-wonders. Third, is the lack of napkins, paper towels, or the like. What I find more often is a community washcloth set on the table for all to use. It almost strikes me as funny in a place sooooo obsessed with sanitation and cleanliness that it plastic wraps a watermelon, yet has you share a washcloth the the stranger sitting next to you...hm mm..