the world

Focus. The man with the sharp metal hook and colored plastic bags tied to his belt flies out of my camera’s view on his important mission. With the ring of his old brass bell the auction begins. I stand speechless among the shouting men who dart left and right, some on foot, some driving electric carts. The bell rings again. The highest bidder drags his newly purchased tuna – sans head and tail – across the damp cement floor of the warehouse. Strangely there is no fishy odor, only the smell of wet and cold coming off the hundreds of icy-steaming frozen tuna all around me. It’s surreal. This is Tokyo’s fish market where Japan’s famous sushi makes its first stop on the way to the palate of discerning dinners around the world. It’s an off-beat place where a culture takes shape before my very eyes; a chaotic choreographed dance like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Click.