Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market is set to relocate, and photographer Federico Bonifazi has captured this iconic landmark through his lens.

Text by Nic

The Tsukiji Fish Market, most familiar to Hong Kong people, covers an area of about 230,000 square meters and is one of the largest fish markets in Japan, even in the world. In addition to daily auctions of seafood, fruits, vegetables, and other food items, the market houses numerous restaurants that serve the freshest fish, making it very popular locally.

Around 900 small businesses in the market open at night, and approximately 60,000 people work there. The workers demonstrate highly skilled craftsmanship in cutting, preparing, and packing fish, transforming the final products into fine art rather than mere food.

Food trading in Tokyo dates back to the Edo period, originally taking place at the Nihonbashi Fish Market. After it was destroyed in an earthquake, the “Tsukiji Foreign Settlement” was developed as a temporary fish market. In 1935, the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market opened in Tsukiji.

The original site of Tsukiji Market will be repurposed in the autumn of 2018, with the market and restaurants moving into new, modern structures—undoubtedly causing the loss of its unique character.

Italian travel photographer Federico Bonifazi recently shared a series of photos he took here, documenting this distinctive market through images.

To see more, you can visit Federico Bonifazi’s website.

Source: PetaPixel