Lee Chapman from tokyotimes.org recently posted on Instagram about the Tsukiji Fish Market. which closed on October 6, 2018. And that brought to mind that I actually have a collection of photos from that one time I visited Tsukiji's inner market in 2017. I wish I had a chance to document more of it.
When I first visited Tsukiji in 2012, I had no idea there was an inner market. I strolled around the outer market, had my tuna bowl and walked out, satiated but wondering what was the big deal.
Eventually, I found out about the inner market, kicked myself in the rear and made a mental note to visit in the future.
During my next Japan visit in 2017, I didn't bother with the outer market. I knew this was most likely my last chance as Tokyo had been planning an oft-delayed move to Toyosu in anticipation of the Olympics. My goal was simple: get into the inner market and document as much as I can.
They officially only let tourists into the inner market after 10AM and by this time, a lot of the daily business had already been completed. For better or for worse, you're mostly watching the vendors clean up.
So I walk past the trucks into the building and the first thing that hits me is the sheer size of the interior. The exterior doesn't hint at the depth of the building, with rows of vendors extending as far as the eye can see. And then I notice the hustle and bustle. Even though the market is winding down, workers and shoppers are going about their day. Rows of vendors, selling, cutting, measuring. Impossible little cube offices. Yes, this is a tourist attraction, but this was also a place of work that was lived in. The history of the place was evident in the nooks and crannies, how people had their own routines . . . their own short cuts. You really have to keep on your toes as there are motorcycles, scootters and these little yellow trucks zooming everywhere.
Looking back on this set of photos, that initial seed of documenting a legacy and trying to capture the linkages between environment and humans probably originated here. It is times like this where I am especially jealous of photographers such as Ming Thein who was granted formal access to the market.
I haven't yet been to Toyosu Market. I get why they've restricted access. But from what I've heard, it's really difficult to capture the action. And it's really capturing people going about their work that captivates me.
There are other fish markets in Japan.
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