Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world, is considered a sacred place by Japanese restaurateurs. Its fame has grown exponentially and it is one of the most-visited attractions in Tokyo. Currently, Tsukiji risks losing its identity due to dislocation as a result of the 2020 Olympics.
Framing Tsukiji in the context of a frenzied expression of our collective imagination, Nicola Tanzini dwells on a lesser-known aspect: the end of the working day, late in the morning. The author turns his attention to the internal market (jonai shijo), which presents a drama whose protagonists are the wholesalers, unfolding in the moments that precede the closure of the market. Everything finally slows down, and the frenetic atmosphere of a moment before?whose pace is set by thousands of customers, professionals, and tourists?now appears suspended in a state of physical and mental calm.
