Christmas Day in Tokyo

Steve is hungry before the tour begins at 8:00am. 
He can't resist fish wrapped in bacon.  It's kind of a breakfast food!

We haven't been in Tokyo too long, and we're finally feeling a little settled, so we choose to stay here for the holidays.  Since we can't be with family we decide for Christmas day to take a private tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market and a sushi making class.  We'd run around the Tsukiji Fish Market when we were here in 2011 but it was much more interesting being with someone who could explain what we were looking at and point out the "important" sites - things we miss just going on our own.  

Tasty - and huge!

Since the tour starts at 8:00am, we have to wake up earlier than we would if we were at home with the nieces and nephews opening Santa gifts.  We have a chuckle over that. Our guide, Eriko, speaks excellent English and shows us lots of good shops in the outer market where we can purchase items. The "fish on a stick" isn't enough for Steve, as he buys several bags of snacks...and starts eating right away.  Many Japanese shops provide free samples, with no pressure to buy (kind of like Costco)!  Some of them taste okay, but I try not to look at them too closely (for example the dried, flavored sardines).  I decide a raw oyster makes a perfect Christmas breakfast.  The outer market consists of dried goods, fruit & vegetables (I had thought it was only fish) and seafood.  (Virtual Update - within three days Steve has already returned to pick up toro tuna, snacks, and fruit...and whatever he managed to eat before he arrived home.)

We stop by Namiyoke Inari Shrine.  They have gravestones here to honor the fish and seafood who have died.  Now I'm feeling guilty about my oyster...

Fish gravestones

One stall

We go inside the inner market.  This is the area people normally refer to when they talk about the fish market.  It's huge, and messy, and very busy...even though most of the major business has already finished.  This is primarily a wholesale area but visitors are allowed to walk around after 9:00am.  There are literally hundreds of "stalls."  Even Steve loses his sense of direction for a bit.

The tuna auction begins around 5:00am, but you have to wait in line to (hopefully, not guaranteed) get a ticket so you can watch about 20 minutes of it.  So far, we haven't been motivated to head down here that early...plus the auction is closed to the public until mid-January.

Someone bid successfully a tuna! (not us)

Ice is a big business in the fish market!

After looking at all that fish, we're ready to eat some!  Our sushi making class is terrific.  We first learn how to filet a jack mackerel - something I've never done before.  A little bloody, but not too bad. Steve is determined to find the fish in our grocery store so he can do it at home.  His cooking repertoire is generally limited to foods that start with S (spaghetti, stir-fry, salad, etc) so I guess that means he can include sushi!

Later we slice the filets and use them for nigiri.  We also learn the proper way to make a sushi roll and a hand roll.  Mine require a little help from the sushi chefs walking around assisting us.  I do awesome when it comes to nigiri, though!

Sushi chef demonstration

Look at that knife technique!

The finished product - right before I eat it all!

Back at home we have presents under our Christmas Poinsettia to open.  

Picking up Japanese conservation habits - the dog gift wrapping paper is tissue paper
 that had been used as stuffing inside my new purse.

No fish, but the dogs have a special Christmas treat, too (egg).

Tokyo Tower turns multi-colored and puts up a heart to celebrate Christmas!