Catch of the Day: Souvenirs From Tsukiji!

Since 1935, many have been making the trip to Tsukiji Fish Market, one of Japan’s most visited fish markets. Tsukiji has everything for all your seafood, fruit, and vegetable needs! There is such a wide variety, including freshly caught tuna from Tokyo Bay, shellfish for your next miso, or fresh Japanese pickled vegetables to give your bentos an extra kick. However, beyond fish buying, there’s a bountiful market within the streets of Tsukiji full of memorable souvenirs, ranging from kitchenware, clothing, stickers, and other items.

Just like the market lined with fish, the streets of Tsukiji have plenty for you to browse and shop for. Take a step outside of the outer market, and find yourself with multiple shops and opportunities to purchase quality items for your kitchen. Whether that be highly skilled artisans’ crafted knives used by chefs across Japan, Japanese ceramics and lacquerware for a new feeling to bring to your dining table or a new pair of chopsticks with various designs.

Knives: Tsukiji Masamoto

If professional kitchen knives are what you seek, Tsukiji Masamoto is the place to go. Having been open since the Showa Era, not only can you feel a sense of quality when using these knives, but you can also hold something that has been a traditional craft since the 1930s, around the same time Tsukiji opened. With reviews from chefs across Japan, you can be assured that you are buying the real deal. However, if you’re a beginner to high-quality knife purchasing, don’t worry! While there are multiple selections of knives that may seem too advanced for regular day-to-day cooking, they have plenty of knives in their store suited for anybody who walks in. Additionally, if you do purchase a knife or two, you can ask the staff to engrave your name (even in Japanese) onto the blade. This makes it a wonderful souvenir as you can personalize a high-quality gift for your friends, family, and of course yourself!

Tsukiji Masamoto Address: 4-9-9 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Official website: https://www.tukijimasamoto.co.jp/

Ceramics: Urukiriya Pottery

On the other hand, for something simpler, Urikiriya has all sorts of ceramic and lacquerware to bring back as a souvenir to decorate your kitchen with a distinctly Japanese feel. With the store’s mission to produce dishes that coordinate with the seasons and your cooking, they make spectacular souvenirs so that while you use the cup, bowl, or plate, you can feel Japan’s appreciation for the seasons. In a way, these dishes feel personalized. From tea, sake, rice bowls, plates, or tea cups, a certain dish is surely waiting for you! If a certain store doesn’t quite have what you’re looking for, chances are there is another ceramic or knife store only a couple of steps away! It goes without saying that Tsukiji is abundant with shops meant to meet your cutlery and kitchen utensil needs, from items such as a traditional Japanese teapot or a bamboo steamer!

Urukiriya Pottery Address: 〒104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 2 Chome−15−19 ミレニアム築地

Official Website: http://www.urikiriya.co.jp/

Ichifuji

For more variety, another shop is tucked away in Tsukiji’s streets full of ceramics and lacquerware, with such a collection that it caters its products to both businesses and homes. These dishes are made all across Japan, in places such as Gifu, Saga, and Fukui prefecture, but many other parts of the country too. This is one of the ceramic shops that dabble outside of items meant for your dining table and also creates kokeshi dolls to sell. Said dolls have even received the Prime Minister’s Award, making them a popular purchased souvenir among visitors to this shop! With intricate designs on their pottery, especially their plates, the staff at Ichifuji will introduce you to their processes. So while you search for pottery, you can hear stories of how the pottery you plan to bring home was made, making it a memorable piece of art and a souvenir.

Address: 104-0045 4 Chome-14-14 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website: https://ichifuji.tokyo/en/

Matcha: Matcha Stand Maruni

If matcha is more up your alley, Tsukiji has what you’re looking for…and even more. Matcha Stand Maruni, a cafe/store in Tsukiji sells matcha and hojicha drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos, and of course straight tea. If you have more of a sweet tooth, you can order ice cream as well with flavors consisting of regular milk soft serve, matcha, and hojicha. The aspect that sets Maruni apart from other matcha cafes is that the employees whisk your drink’s required matcha in front of you after you order. However, where’s the souvenirs in this cafe? Lucky for you, Maruni doesn’t only sell sweet drinks and ice cream, but they sell various types of matcha and hojicha powder, bamboo whisks, matcha wooden scooping tools, and ceramic tea cups, all for you to be able to make your own matcha at home! Maruni allows you to taste authentic, rich and smooth matcha, while also letting you purchase all the necessary materials to learn matcha making, a big part of Japan’s culture used in tea ceremonies, weddings, and other various ceremonies.

Address: 〒104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−14−18 江戸市ビル 1F

Website: https://matchastandmaruni.com/

Tsukiji Themed Souvenirs: Orimatsu

Want something not for your kitchen, but more so to remember your visit? Tsukiji has got you covered! Take a quick walk over to Orimatsu, and find a variety of t-shirts for your next souvenir, ranging from designs as exciting as Tsukiji, Japan written in a fun font in English or Japanese (if you prefer the kanji look!), or more sillier shirts with a tuna depicted saying “Hello World” on it! And, if you really want something to remember your trip, Orimatsu sells stickers depicting the very turrets (With a tuna riding it, of course) the store owners in Tsukiji ride delivering fish from the storehouses to the market. Additionally, this souvenir shop sells detailed sushi magnets, so, if you were able to eat some sushi at Tsukiji, why not bring back a replica of something you tried? Of course, Orimatsu has multiple souvenirs such as tote bags, hoodies, tapestries, and magnets of tuna fish, all of which would give anyone a good reminder of their visit to the famous fish market.

Address: 〒104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−14−18 妙泉寺ビル 1F

Website: http://tsukiji-orimatsu.com/gallery/

Taking all of that in…

Now you should have a decent idea of what to be on the lookout for on your visit to Tsukiji! With Tsukiji getting roughly 40,000 visitors a day, this market makes an amazing place to shop for fish and kitchen necessities (and also should be on your bucket list). From some stores that have been open since the Showa era, filled with stories about their products and word of mouth on how certain souvenirs are made, it’s bound to create a great experience where you can enjoy culture and learn from the locals from pottery making to matcha whisking. From the aforementioned souvenirs, you could bring back anything from a simple magnet or sticker to remember your trip, some new clothes, new utensils and dishes, and/or some fresh matcha powder. With as historically important a place as Tsukiji is, not only will the souvenir be a highlight, but so will the trip to a market enjoyed by thousands daily. So while souvenir shopping is fun, make sure to take it easy and enjoy some local fish in the area too!

Featured Photo Credit: Alp Galip

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