One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Dead Fish

Sometimes I have too much going on, and I just need to back off from one of many projects that often go nowhere. Much to my surprise, this blog seems to have real people really reading it, so I’ve tried to be diligent in keeping it updated, but last week I just needed to take a break.

Last Thursday, mere hours before my brother was fated to fly back to S.F. and the world witnessed what could be the beginning of World War III, he and I hit the Tsukiji Fish Market.

It struck me as the busiest place in Tokyo, outside of Shinjuku Station during rush hour. Several large warehouses on the water were crammed with all manners of sea beast – living, dead and in-between.

The aisles were narrow, barely wide enough for one person to walk down, and there was a constant flow of foot traffic and these bizarre, small engine flatbed trucks for zipping around quickly.

The sushi, of course, was phenomenal. Not quite as good as Hokkaido, but what is? There were so many small sushi shops, it really didn’t matter which we popped into – the fish would be freshly caught and relatively cheap for what we got.

Let’s face it, though. A fish market can only go so far, and then you say to yourself, Geez. Another fish. And look! It’s aorta is showing!

So Tsukiji also has a produce market and a well-constructed vortex of tourist trinkets. But the Tsukiji area was interesting also for Tsukiji Hongan-ji, a Buddhist temple with strong Indian architectural influences, and Hama Rikyu Onshi-Teien, a large swatch of green sandwiched between the skyscrapers of Shimbashi and the fish market.

Part of the beauty of the park relies on its groves of plum and cherry trees, but the stunning contrast between the nearby towers and the towering greenery is really what makes it great.

In the middle of Tokyo, for the paltry sum of 300 yen, you can escape from the noise and the crowds. To be able to sit down and read a book in peace and quiet in the middle of Tokyo is a treasure not to be underestimated.

For more on the Tsukiji area, here’s a recent article from the Japan Times.