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Asia best city Tokyo

April 17, 2014 by David Herd

Tokyo Skytree

Asia best city definitely Tokyo Japan

Asia best city Tokyo Japan, this was my 3rd visit after being there twice in 2007. There is so much to see and do in this fantastic city. I guarantee I won’t wait 7 years before I visit again.

Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 meters in March 2011.

Asakusa

Looking down at Asakusa from the Skytree. Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.

Sky Tree at night

I rarely use a photo I have not taken myself, however this one I found on Twitter is an exception as it is so spectacular.

Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple

Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taitō. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine. Want to see more photos just CLICK HERE.

Tsukiji Honganji Temple

Hongwan-ji, is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple located in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo. Tsukiji Hongan-ji’s predecessor was the temple of Edo-Asakusa Gobo, built in Asakusa in 1617 at the behest of the 12th monshu, Junnyo Shōnin. The temple burned during a city-wide fire in 1657, and the shogunate refused to allow it to be rebuilt in Asakusa due to a prior project there. Instead, the temple was moved to a new parcel of land being reclaimed by the Sumida River—today’s Tsukiji. This land was said to have been reclaimed by Jodo Shinshu followers themselves who lived at nearby Tsukudajima. The name Tsukiji comes from the kanji characters meaning “reclaimed land”. This new temple, named Tsukiji Gobo, stood until it was leveled by the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923.

New Sanno Hotel

Dinner with Clai & Dan at the New Sanno Hotel. It offers a swimming pool, recreational facilities, a Navy Exchange, and other services designed for military travelers. The hotel is regulated and controlled by the U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement. In addition to active duty and retired US military personnel eligible to use other Armed Forces Recreation Centers, DoD civilian employees duty stationing in Japan, contractors on DoD orders to execute contracts for the US Armed Forces stationed in Japan, US Embassy Tokyo personnel and individuals administratively attached to US Embassy Tokyo are eligible to use the hotel.

New Sanno Hotel

I dined with friends at the US military hotel in Tokyo (New Sanno Hotel). You actually need a passport checked by an armed guard just to get in the door.

Met a couple of military guys, one was an ex Lieutenant Colonel whose name is Lance Gatling, you guessed it, his great great Grandfather was Doctor Richard Gatling who invented the Gatling gun in 1861 during the American civil war. Naturally talking to these guys I learnt some interesting facts, America lost about 600,000 in the civil war. In World War II, they lost about 200,000, & 54,000 in Vietnam. The primary cause of death in the Civil War was disease and infection.

Metro cafe

Metro cafe is one of our favorite Tokyo bars, you can always meet delightful Japanese ladies there. It is located at Omotesando Station.

The Cellar Grill at Omotesando

Not far from the Metro Cafe is a great little restaurant called the Cellar Grill.

Bob Bitzer & I at the Cellar Grill

A great night with lots of laughs.

The Cellar Grill

Feeling no pain at the Cellar Grill, now lets get back to Cafe Metro.

Friends in Tokyo at Metro cafe

Here we are back in our favorite drinking spot in Asia best city at Omete-Sando station. I’m with Clai, Dan and Bob.

kabuki theatre tokyo

The building was destroyed on October 30, 1921. Since it burned down from an electrical fire, the second building was designed to “be fireproof, yet carry traditional Japanese architectural styles”, and at the same time using Western building materials such as lighting equipment. The reconstruction commenced in 1922, and was uncompleted when the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake struck and caused it to burn down. It was rebuilt in a baroque Japanese revivalist style, meant to evoke the architectural details of Japanese castles, as well as temples of pre-Edo period. The theater again burned down in the Allied bombing during World War II. It was restored in 1950 preserving the style of 1924 reconstruction, and was until recently one of Tokyo’s more dramatic and traditional buildings.

The Ginza

The Ginza is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognised as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world.

Asia best city definitely Tokyo Japan

A great people watching corner.

Shabusen in the Ginza

Kobe beef at Shabusen at the Ginza A terrific restaurant for Kobe beef, go at lunch time for special prices.

Near the Tsukiji Market

The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind.

Tsujiki Market

The market is being relocated.

Sumida River

Sumida river flows through Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi and flows into Tokyo Bay.

Sumida River

I must say Tokyo 2014 was better for me than Tokyo in 2007, it certainly helps now I know the city better and I have some friends to mix with.

Sushizanmai

Sushizanmai at Tsujiki is still my favourite restaurant in Tokyo.

Sushizanmai

I met this lovely lady called Mammi at Sushizanmai.

My favourite Japanese song

David Herd at Shabusen

Thanks for visiting my Asia best city definitely Tokyo Japan post, please check out Shinjuku and Yokohama.

What a great year for travel in 2015

Sydney Paris Bangkok

Tokyo Rio De Janeiro Budapest

London Beijing Capetown

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A-One hotel on Beach Road

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Pattaya live webcam

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That’s all folks

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

A quaint Tokyo street

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

My visit to HCM City January 2015

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Dotonbori in Osaka

Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai

Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Tsujiki wholesale Fish market

December 21, 2013 by David Herd

The market is being relocated in 2018

Tsujiki wholesale Fish market

Tsujiki wholesale Fish market Tokyo is an amazing sight to see, however you have to set your alarm for an early start. To experience the action yo need to be there around 5am or earlier. The address is 5 Chome-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan

Negotiating the price

The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, commonly known as the Tsukiji Market, is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind.

Don’t argue with this guy. 😯

His knife is almost as big as a Samurai sword.

The Tokyo Fish market is located near the Tsukijishijō Station on the Toei Ōedo Line and Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. There are two distinct sections of the market. The “inner market” is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The “outer market” is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood, and many restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier.

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Tsujiki wholesale Fish market

The Tokyo Fish market handles more than 400 different types of seafood from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar, and from tiny sardines to 300 kg tuna and controversial whale species. Overall, more than 700,000 metric tons of seafood are handled every year at the three seafood markets in Tokyo, with a total value in excess of 600 billion yen (approximately 5.9 billion US dollars on November 24th, 2013). The number of registered employees as of 25 January 2010 varies from 60,000 to 65,000, including wholesalers, accountants, auctioneers, company officials, and distributors.

Here’s looking at you kid.

Tokyo Fish market opens most mornings (except Sundays, holidays and some Wednesdays) at 3:00 a.m. with the arrival of the products by ship, truck and plane from all over the world. Particularly impressive is the unloading of tons of frozen tuna. The auction houses (wholesalers known in Japanese as oroshi gyōsha) then estimate the value and prepare the incoming products for the auctions. The buyers (licensed to participate in the auctions) also inspect the fish to estimate which fish they would like to bid for and at which price.

The auctions start around 5:20 a.m. Bidding can only be done by licensed participants. These bidders include intermediate wholesalers (nakaoroshi gyōsha) who operate stalls in the marketplace and other licensed buyers who are agents for restaurants, food processing companies, and large retailers.

The auctions usually end around 7:00 a.m. Afterward, the purchased fish is either loaded onto trucks to be shipped to the next destination or on small carts and moved to the many shops inside the market. There the shop owners cut and prepare the products for retail. In case of large fish, for example tuna and swordfish, cutting and preparation is elaborate. Frozen tuna and swordfish are often cut with large band saws, and fresh tuna is carved with extremely long knives, some well over a meter in length.

Giant tuna fetches more than US$600,000 at Tokyo auction

Watch this video on YouTube

Tsujiki wholesale Fish market

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Tsujiki wholesale Fish market Tokyo

Sushizanmai is my favourite sushi restaurant in Tokyo is very close to the old Tokyo Fish market & open 24 hours a day. There is always a queue of people waiting to get in.

Tuna fetches record $3m at Tokyo auction January 5 2019

A 278-kilogramme bluefin tuna sold for a record 333.6 million yen (US$3 million) in the first auction of 2019 on Saturday, after Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market was moved to a new site on the city’s waterfront.

The winning bid for the prized but threatened species at the predawn auction was more than double the old mark set in 2013. It was paid by Kiyomura Corp, whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura has often won the annual auction in the past.

Last year’s auction was the last at Tsukiji before the market shifted to a new facility on a former gas plant site on Tokyo Bay. The move was delayed repeatedly due to concerns over soil contamination. However it has now relocated.

The Toyosu Market is a wholesale market in Tokyo, located in the Toyosu area of the Kōtō ward. There are two markets for seafood, one for general wholesale and one for bidding and one market for fruits and vegetables, with each in their own buildings.

One of the happy chefs

This is the best sushi in the world.

Two of the happy customers

My friend Hamish was really enjoying his first trip to Tokyo in September 2015, he was blown away by the quality and price at Sushizanmai.

Sushizanmai has the best quality sushi in the world at a reasonable price.

The Sushizanmai in Tokyo is an experience to enjoy and remember. If you want a quiet romantic setting cross this place off your list. It is a happy frenetic chaotic dining experience, and the food is wonderful. Check out this video to experience the atmosphere. It’s now October 2018 & the market finally closes.