Last days of Tuna Auction

Japan has been my favorite country of all time. It was rather accidental that I visited this amazing country 4 times last year, long boring story there, lets not get into it.

Tuna Auctions been a long source of fascination for a Non-Japanese like myself. Finding out Tsukiji Market was moving from its location soon in November 2016, decided  it was able time I should visit and headed there early for the Tuna Auction. Yes even at 12am, I wasn’t the first ones waiting, there was a huge line sitting down and waiting. Despite having been to Tsukiji Market many times for food shopping, I resisted going to the hyped up auction. Of course it was a let down, afterall, having to wait at the gates at 12am for a 6.30am, one does get disappointed. We were led like sheeps, for a 10mins, we stared far away from the actual auction on a thin strip of walkway, before being chased out.

 

 

The other Tuna Auction market I highly recommend is the Misaki Tuna Market, Kanagawa. I rather enjoyed this whole place more than the over-rated Tsukiji. The vibe was pretty chill, unlike the noisy and buzzling affair in Tsukiji. Misaki practises silent auction filled with hidden hand signals, wooden tags, and silent submissions to the board pricing. The highest bidder is sorted and the seller agrees to the price based on these wooden tags. The real action starts around 7-8am, much later than Tsukiji.

Should you visit, you would be the only tourists around, and require no queuing, just a simple registration at the office. There is a viewing platform on the second floor.

After the auction, head towards the fish market on the other side for fresh product, it is a little touristy but they cater towards the Japanese tourists. Around the sleepy Misaki town are rows of Tuna restaurants which are much more affordable than Tsukiji and filled with less foreign tourists.

If you have the time, head to Jogashima Island by bus for some sleepy sea side R&R

Getting there : 

Take the Miura Kanagawa train to Misaki-Guchi, from there take any bus to Misaki Port.  Keikyu one-day Misaki Maguro pass cost ¥3,060 from any Keikyu station. The discount ticket entitles you a return train ticket, and a free tuna lunch at any participating restaurants, plus you get a free tuna gift along with it, it also includes free bus rides around town and Jogashima island and free entrance to a cheesy old school marina park that was pretty fun.

Travel wisdoms : miracles happen

Life on the road is tough sometimes, travelling and visiting different countries and experiencing different cultures is sometimes not quite it seem to be.  It changes me, sometimes for the better and sometimes not so much. I got to see many ugly side of human activities as well as those beautiful ones.

This is the life at its raw essentials, there are so much pain and suffering that one goes through, and it is just so heart wrenching to see life changing so quickly that sometimes it renders one helpless.

But having said that, the world is still beautiful and I do have the constant desire to experience as much as it can, while it last.

Life is a constant change, as I just need to keep adjusting to whatever it throws at me.

Places I wanna visit before I die

Borrowed a few travel guide books from the library
Am lusting for these places. Travel plans for these 3 years.
Crossing my fingers and hopefully if I send my request out to the Universe, it will probably make it happen for me.

Quote : My decisive action

The most decisive actions of our life – I mean those that are most likely to decide the whole course of our future – are, more often than not, unconsidered.
– Andre Gide
French critic, essayist, & novelist (1869 – 1951)

I’m just a spiritual being travelling on spaceship earth, having a great human experience. space travel is amazing.

Random Quote : Paul Theroux

Why do I travel? Paul Theroux describe it perfectly :You have to find out for yourself. Take the leap. Go as far as you can. Try staying out of touch. Become a stranger in a strange land. Acquire humility. Learn the language. Listen to what people are saying.

is shocked and horrified… mourns for the loss of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. You took part of my heart and soul away when you decided to depart this planet, leaving us your legacy of great music and bipolar shame.

has to decide fast if I should take a break from India and fly to London for TT in end july for a week. Then return to continue onwards on the himalayan trip. Where are those cheap budget airlines to London they are promising.

is pysched. Just got myself registered for the Dalai Lama Teaching in Dharamasala late October. So definately gonna return to McLeod Ganj again.

McLeod Ganj or more familarly known as Dharamsala can be quite an easy place to live in. Lodging is cheap at a village call Dharamcot, with a nice room overlooking the valley at 80rp a night, you get fresh vegetables easily at McLeod Ganj or eat reasonably well in restaurants. I got my local cheeses for pretty good deal 100rp, great cheeses, pretty decent wines and good vegetables. Good beautiful cool weather, great walks around the mountains. You can easily live here for 1 month without even noticing. The travellers that gather here are a bit off worldly, dressed in this whole hippyish fashion, most are up in the clouds, probably from smoking hashish or charas the whole day. Although I do get a little annoyed with the bunch of girls living next to my room smoking charas the whole night and chatting throughout the night. You do get a little off breathing in the charas via second hand smoke.