"My Wandering Feet" - Kawaii Japan

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Tuna Auction at the Tsukiji Fish Market 

The tuna bidding or auction appears on every tour guides, to do list or must see in Tokyo, Japan. It's in my bucket list for sometimes now and tried several times to do it. Unfortunately,  I was unlucky to catch this world-famous attraction. 

With the news that the Tsukiji Market will be closed soon and relocated somewhere, I am compelled to find a spot in this activity during my latest visit in Tokyo.  In my previous failed attempts, we arrived past 3 am and the 120 slots were all taken.

The Notice at the Entrance: Registration starts at 3 am

In order to make sure that we get a share in the much coveted slots, we wake-up very early (or shall I say, we didn't sleep!) to be at the gate very, very early. Daring the rain and a temperature of 12 degrees centigrade, I thought we will be first in the line. But lo and behold, more people are there before us!

After lining in the rain for more than an hour, we were ushered to a room. Luckily, we were included in the first group to view the auction.

The guard handed a colored jacket, then required us to sit on the floor. This was the most uncomfortable part of the journey. The time (more than 2 hours) in the waiting room was challenging. The 120 people were cramped in a small unheated room. Although it's fun watching people from around the world, in the end we all feel the aches and pains of sitting upright as leaning on the wall is not allowed.

Is it worth the efforts: waking up too early or not sleeping, queuing, challenging waiting room, etc.?  Well, it depends on your interest! As for me, I always go for the uniqueness of every place I visit! Seeing tuna auction in the oldest and largest fish market in the world is definitely a great experience. 

Please watch the the following videos. Although the original videos I recorded are much longer (Blogger allows uploading of not more than 100 MB video file), these were trimmed down.

Tips when you really like to see the Tuna Auction

Be at the gate the latest 2:30 am; first come, first serve basis. No reservation allowed.

Prepare yourself for the long wait; standing and sitting upright positions.

Dress appropriately; slippers/open shoes are not allowed for safety reasons.

Bring something that will entertain you (read, write, game, etc.). As for me, I wrote this blog while waiting and did some reading.

Although eating and drinking is not allowed, I noticed that most of the people are nibbling something.  I guess, you can bring something to eat/drink in small portions but be discreet.

Try to get in front of the queue to get a better view, especially if you are not that tall like me.

Flash photography is not allowed.

Be alert! Follow the rules and regulations.  Just remember that you are in a very busy market place and that everyone is conducting their own business.

The best part: Entrance to the tuna auction is free!!!

#wandermoretheworld