Tokyo, Japan - Tsukiji Fish Market, Disneyland

If you like sushi and you want it fresh, you need to head down to the Tsukiji Fish Market. But first, let's clear some things up about the Fish Market. The area you'll most likely be visiting is the outside market, which is completely open to the public. Stalls sell fish, beans, seafood so fresh it's still moving around, produce, knick knacks, and there are of course sushi restaurants. Most of the rest of the market is off limits, as you can see from the map below.

Map from Japan-guide.com

Outside Market street

If you do want to see the big fish being sold,  you need to attend the tuna auction and there's only one way to do it. You need to apply at the Osakana Fukyu Center (Fish Information Center, purple square, on the map). Only 120 visitors are permitted each day, 60 between 5:25 and 5:50 am, and another 60 between 5:50 and 6:15 am. People start lining up for "tickets" well before 5 am on busy days and this is all on a first come first serve basis.

If you want to get up a little later, you can always visit the wholesale area after 9 am. Here fish stands are set up for buyers and tourists are allowed in. However, be mindful of what you're doing and don't get in the way of people rushing around trying to do business. And don't get run over, because carts are zooming around everywhere!

Namiyoke Inari

And if all of that just sounds too hectic and complicated, you can just visit the outside market, a tourist friendly area best visited between 5 am and noon. While you're there you can grab that sushi breakfast you wanted. We had sushi at 8 in the morning at Sushizanmai, in a crowd of other people having fish and beer for breakfast.

Nearby you'll also find the Namiyoke Inari Shrine, meaning "protection from waves." This shrine stands as guardian to the market and traders and as a place to pray for safety on the waters.

I'll be honest, Tokyo Disneyland is not that different from America's Disney World or Disneyland. But...it's Disneyland so who cares! The park, set up much like Orlando's Magic Kingdom, is all the fun and flair of Disney, in a foreign country.


The rides are pretty much the same, but you'll find most with any sort of dialogue are only in Japanese. Some, like the Haunted Mansion, switch back and forth between Japanese and English. Shows, like in the Enchanted Tiki Room, have translators (little handheld screens) available if you ask. Otherwise, it's Disney all the way.

There are fast passes, which are nice. I missed the photography spots like Disney World has where you can hand a cast member a card which holds a picture they take on it so you can later access it online. You'll be taking all of your own pictures in Tokyo. There's also no pin trading that I could tell. They do sell a very limited number of pins, but the selection is scarce.

It rained the entire day I was there, so I did not see any characters walking around. The only time we saw them was in the parade. If you want to see one of the parades get to a designated spot early and stay there. Once the parade starts staff will not let you stand around and watch from outside of designated areas, unless you happen to be standing in line for a ride.