I often have intentions to support this brand-agnostic thread that aren’t realized, but here is one to celebrate ordering Hakusan/Will’s new book.
I was in Japan again this spring: I have been there four times before, twice including Tokyo and Tsukiji, but not for ten years. There are plans to move Tsukiji, and tear it down, so this might have been my last chance to visit it. (The moving plans have already been delayed once, as the new site has some problems.)
When I visited Tsukiji before- in 2006 and 2007 (I think) - I just walked in, and the only problem was finding the tuna auction - I failed the first time, but succeeded the second. I don't remember seeing many other tourists. It is a very busy place: large but crowded; lots of people rushing all over; some hand, and many motorized carts moving fish and boxes around, quickly.
It seems that it has since been overrun with tourists, so there are new rules: the market is closed to tourists until 10:00 AM, but up to 120 visitors per day, on a first-come, first-served basis, can register to watch the tuna auction, from 5:00 AM, on the first floor of the ‘Fish Information Center’, by the Kachidoki Bridge entrance (I have no idea where that is).
The day after I arrived in Tokyo was Sunday, so the market was closed, but the second night that I was in Tokyo, I woke up a little after 4:00 AM - probably a bit of jet lag - and decided to go to Tsukiji. My hotel was in Shimbashi, so I just walked over. The plan was to get 'there' on time, and then there wouldn't have been any problem. By rushing and not reading the map very well in the dark, I got lost - didn't get there until ~ 5:30 - mind you I didn’t know where to go for the auction registration anyway. I didn't know how they would enforce the new rules. If they had turned me away right away, I might have just come back at 10:00 AM, although I think that by then most of the business would be over, so it would be quieter, less interesting. As it happened, I just walked into the wholesale market, as I usually did, past the fruit section first, and then into the fish, and wandered about taking pictures for a while. Some people scowled at me, some smiled at me, and most ignored me. I didn’t see any other tourists, except that I did pass a small group of gaijin, wearing special safety vests - maybe they got there on time (so should have been watching the auction), or maybe they had some special permission. Eventually an official found me, showed me a laminated sheet with the new rules, and told me to go over to the North(?) side of the market, where tourists were allowed. It didn't seem as busy as I remember, but still fun. When I headed back a little later, there was a guard watching at the place I had walked in earlier.
Tuna at Tsukiji fish market, April 3, 2017. Leica T, 35 mm f2.5 Summarit, 1/125, ISO 1600.