the biggest in the world

Opens at 3 a.m.

employs 65,000 people. Does nearly six billion dollars annually

and sells over four hundred kinds of seafood. Located right in central Tokyo

between GINZA and the SUMIDA RIVER. The market was completed in 1935

it set to move to a new site in TOYOSU

in the near future. Only a short trip away

Here we are in TSUKIJI market which is essentially a city within a city

one of the biggest fish markets in the world! This place is incredible has its

own culture, its own language, even its own mode of transportation! And to help

me explain it all is Greg Lane the founder of Tokyo Cheapo.com

and MORITA san

from TSUKIJI Sushiworkshop! Greg what is the big attraction

for TSUKIJI market?

The attraction is just the massive scale

of this place and the, like the chaotic energy.

It's crazy!

These Cars racing paths..We're in serious danger right now!

So we've been here 6 or 7 hours coming here at 3am, and it's now almost 10am!

Mr.MORITA was kind enough to show us the option in guide us around the market today

Take a look

visitors can come and see the tuna auction at 5am

it's limited to 100 people on a first-come first-served basis

Get there early! I'm talking like 3:45a.m.

There are 2 groups of sixty

with a sixty to ninety minute wait

Is it gonna be worth it?

I'm getting a little bit tired..

Actually you know being together here with everybody

It's not that bad. You get to know a lot of the people where they're from

Actually I would recommend bringing a pillow with you

You get a really sore behind.

It's true! best to get a spot along the wall to lean on,too

when the door opens

the auction experience begins with the walk through the

dark intermarket roads guided by security guards

The first thing that visitors notice are the freight and turret tracks

watch where you walk!! Accidents do happen

And we're here! The special visitor area to see the tuna auction

There they are flash frozen tuna from the seven seas

on pallets! Numbered, and prepped for inspection

I'd seen this on TV and realized

I was really excited!! Its actually worth waiting throughout the night

They can dig in on the ends

Take a piece of MAGURO and feel for the freshness

fat content and distribution.

A flashlight can make it easier to see the quality

Not all tuna are the same

Buyers usually have a list of the tuna they want

and know the value before they bid.

The bell starts the auction

There are several auctions taking place at the same time

The first tuna sold within 10 seconds

The buyers use number gestures quickly

Often not even saying a word

Morita san took us to a shop selling TUNA that he knows in the outer market

This is a tuna purchased at the auction this morning

it's big enough to feed an army

You can see it's so white it's loaded with a lot of the fat, the oil

you can see the cuts of MAGURO(tuna) here

AKAMI is the typical lean and red tuna meat

found near the fin

CHUTORO is from the middle belly

Pinker with fat

OTORO is from the lower belly, loaded with fat

and melts in your mouth when eaten.

Lighter color means more fat

more flavor and more expensive.

Nine is a hook symbol! Unusual!

You can't use your other hand

You can tell the zeros by the item

Cheap ones are thousands

in the auction the buyers gesture fast

this is universally understood in TSUKIJI

Japanese knives are some of the best in the world

This one is a knife used to cut MAGURO for more precise cuts

it may look like a sword,but its a knife

it's about 70 centimeters long

and used for opening the tuna

These are sold in shops all over the outer market

It's well made and weighs about one kilogram

Feels like a machete but longer

and crafted to cut through bone

When holding long knives

don't get over excited and watch where your point the end!

sorry about that shirt, Greg

Morita san also got some sea urchin and scallops to go along with the

5000 yen worth of MAGURO from the shop

All you need is a bowl

some plain rice a little WASABI...or a LOT

and some soy sauce!

this is called the KAISEN-DON

and its good

I think this is the best KAISEN-DON I've ever tasted

Do it yourself TSUKIJI breakfast is definitely the best way to go

If you prefer a faster breakfast

head to the outer market which is loaded with good food

let's try this KAISEN-DON tent

the special bowl with the little of everything goes for 2300 yen

Looks good, but how does it taste?

so good

A breakfast fit for aquaman

TSUKIJI's inner fish market is really interesting to wander around in

this is a real working wholesale market and doing business is their first priority

But in the late morning after 9 a.m. vendors are much happier to allow photos

In here you can see everything

from flash frozen MAGURO being sliced by an electric saw

to fish being turned into seafood

It's real! It's raw!

There are four hundred types of seafood in here

so explore and buy something if you're still hungry

The world's biggest fish market is definitely worth a visit

watch out for those trolley tracks, dress for water and fish guts

and remember, leave with a stomach full of food and a smile on your face

Oh, and stay away from those knives!