Tokyo's world-famous Tsukiji fish market has closed 83 years trading. It shut permanently noon on Saturday, bringing an end to its long history of trading all kinds fish. The market is being moved to a new site in the Toyosu area of Tokyo. The new market will start operating Thursday. City planners in Tokyo made the decision to close the market Tsukiji because they wanted to build a parking lot the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which will take place 2020. Market traders at Tsukiji were sad on Saturday as they finally shut shop. One seafood auctioneer, Hisao Ishii, said: "I'm almost crying. Today is a sad day goodbyes."
Tsukiji fish market was known as the "kitchen Japan". Britain's Financial Times newspaper described how important the market was. It wrote: "Tsukiji is a symbol the global food trade, the home of Japanese cuisine, and is one Tokyo's most popular tourist attractions." It added that the atmosphere Tsukiji showed, "an older Tokyo that is gradually disappearing favor of glittering high-rise towers". Nearly 500 types seafood were sold the market. The most famous product sold there was bluefin tuna. One bluefin sold a record $1.7million in 2013. Hiroyasu Ito, chairman the Tsukiji Market Association, said: "Everyone was pouring their heart and soul into their trade the very end".
