Things move fast because the middlemen have carefully checked out the catch beforehand. Starting well before sunrise, they walk among the freshly unloaded fish, flashlight in hand, peering to see if the eyes are clear, if the skin is shiny, if the body has been damaged. Any expert middleman knows from these visual inspections how the fish were stored, where they came from, and how they were caught. Some middlemen have been working here since the market opened in 1935, and all of the others gained experience working with earlier owners, so they know a good fish when they see one. They know what it is worth, and see no point in quibbling over the price. Wholesale fish prices determined by winning bids at Tsukiji Market are called tate-ne: the standard for other wholesale markets in Japan.

osaki Hideo is in charge of general affairs in the market's administration department. He has an interesting slant on things here: "Many of the middlemen face a difficult economic situation, so they have to work really hard. They and others work here because they like fish."

After the auctions, the middlemen take what they bought to their shops in the market, then begin cutting everything up. By 8 a.m., the fish is on display, freshly cut and ready for sale to retailers.

Each day, about 40,000 retailers come from all over the Tokyo region to stock their supermarkets, fish stores and exclusive restaurants. They look the fish over carefully, and take what they want for their customers.

At Tokyo's seafood treasure house, buying and selling begin when the city is still asleep. Fresh food for seafood lovers comes from all that noise and hustle and bustle.