Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to resume admitting sightseers Jan 19

Sunday 11th January, 06:05 AM JST

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space_monkey at 01:10 AM JST - 12th January

Australia found out that 2 billion dollars of blue fin tuna was sold directly to retailers by by-passing the auctions or was deliberately mis-labelled in the auctions. The Australian government compared catch data against auction data and found massive discrepancies. I smell a fishy conspiracy. Maybe they don't want anyone to see what they are doing anymore. No more photo's, no names, and definitely no paper trail. For more info go to the article in The Age August 19 "Japan used 'back door' to hide $2bn bluefin haul". I think they just don't want anyone spying on what they are doing. Maybe they want to start auctioning whale again in there!
UnagiDon at 02:09 AM JST - 12th January

I smell a fishy conspiracy.

I smell a lack of common sense on your part, as with most who see conspiracies. These tuna auctions are hardly being done in smoky back rooms out of the public eye, with no "outsiders". But there I go, talking common sense again....
Suffi at 02:30 AM JST - 12th January

Dear kwatt, if you've "never been there and never seen that", well I don't surprise you still waste away with such a question...
loltehinterwebs at 05:42 AM JST - 12th January

The local restaurants are suffering, it's as simple as that.
ichinensei at 05:51 AM JST - 12th January

why would people poke frozen fish anyways? some people are so daft. They make all us gaijins look like idiots..same with flash photography. All digital cameras now have iso 800 usually. that is all you need for taking indoor pics with no flash. tst tst
jwills79 at 09:11 AM JST - 12th January

The only shady dealings I could see as plausible. Is 1) the area is becoming dangerous with chemicals 2) the they purposely mislabeling items (it happens a lot) 3) they might start selling items not politically correct in the public's opinion.

Or the gaijin are truly screwing it up the place for the rest of us.
seeker1 at 09:37 AM JST - 12th January

The ban was appropriate. I was shocked when I watched news footage of foreign tourists hitching a ride on a forklift at the market, and another guy actually licking a tuna! As a foreigner living in this country, I felt really embarrassed. If they do lift the ban, they should set aside areas for tourists, and set up strict rules with fines. There is always a possibility of an accident happening. Say those bozos on the forklift fall off, breaking an arm or leg, or they cause the forklift to crash. It is a workplace where hundreds of business transactions take place involving millions of yen. Imagine if a bunch of tourists walked onto the floor of the NY Stock Exchange and started taking flash pictures. I'm sure a lot of the traders would appreciate that.
On a side note, here in Hiroshima saw a couple of yahoos wearing chonmage wigs riding the streetcar. It was in the afternoon, and I nearly cringed when they got off at the A-Bomb Dome. I'm not against having a good time, I've worn wigs and dresses even at parties, but there is a right time and place for everything. Wearing chonmage wigs while visiting Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, or taking flash photos at the Tsukiji fish auction and disrupting business, are just not appropriate.
samsarks at 11:45 AM JST - 12th January

seeker1-dont be embarrased for it tells you the diversity in human beings among foreigners unlike our cloned jp friends or better still research subjects who behave the same.i abhor such a misbehaviours but i was happy .at least it told the jp people rules are made for people not peole for rules
Yelnats at 01:58 PM JST - 12th January

Have metal detectors at a special foreign entrance, and take all cell phones and cameras away, just like the American Embassy does. You can puck it up on the way out. You could also have post cards and DVD for sale there too at a good price and that would make people happy.
seggahme at 08:33 PM JST - 12th January

That is nasty and stinky place. I've never been there.
GJDailleult at 08:14 AM JST - 13th January

The local restaurants are suffering, it's as simple as that.

Exactly. The market is not making money off tourists at the auction, but local restaurants make money from the tourists brought to the area. No doubt they were not pleased with the ban.
notimpressed at 03:19 PM JST - 14th January

haha, they let the foreigners back in when they realise they want thier money$$$$$$ Typical. Its amazing what people will put up with when they are getting paid. Even if its not the markets getting paid, it about more than them. Oh well, I dont really care anyway, have't been there yet, and not losing sleep over it. If I do go, I dont expect to wet myself with excitement either. How fresh is fresh fish? still swimming. Difficult to eat though.
nigelboy at 03:27 PM JST - 14th January

haha, they let the foreigners back in when they realise they want thier money$$$$$$

Actually, they announced back in December 3 of last year that they were going to ban tourists between Dec.15~Jan 17.
notimpressed at 04:02 PM JST - 14th January

true they did too.
ultradodgy at 09:36 AM JST - 16th January

Notimpressed - Um, let's think for a minute what % of Tsukiji revenues comes from the massive domestic market vs. a handful of foreigners having a 1,000 yen breakfast of second-grade tuna and a gassy pint of Asahi... hmmm...