A farewell to Tsukiji fish market - in pictures

The world's largest operation of its kind closed its doors earlier this month ahead of a rebirth in a brand new location a few kilometres away

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Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo was - until it closed on October 6 - the world's largest wholesale enterprise of its kind.

Built on reclaimed land in the city's bay area, the Japanese capital’s municipality decided to move the existing fish market to this new location after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

Tsukiji opened its doors on February 11, 1935, and, as well as being a major part of the city’s economy, it eventually became an unlikely tourist attraction.

Visitors would queue up in the cold in the early hours of the morning to watch the famous tuna auctions.

Skilled workers would fillet and divide prime cuts with razor sharp knives, as metal loaders swept along the narrow lanes between stores.

For those in the know, Tsukiji market was also home to some of the best sushi in Japan.

A few small restaurants used the produce in their dishes, serving it up with piping hot miso soup to revive frozen tourists.

However, because the Tsukiji operation was sitting in a prime location, it was decided to relocate it to Toyosu market, a brand new facility a few kilometres away.

The new market reopened on October 14, and early indications suggest tourists are still flocking to see this slice of Japanese life.

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