Japan's Iconic Tsukiji Market Losing Luster with Buyers Going Directly to Distributors
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Wall Street Journal] by Eleanor Warnock - May 15, 2015
A must-see on almost every Tokyo tourist’s list is Tsukiji market, known globally as the largest fish market in the world and a mecca for sushi lovers. Yet the power of Tsukiji and other big fish markets in Japan is waning.
Roughly half of all seafood sold in Japan passed through wholesale markets such as Tsukiji in 2012, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, down from three-quarters more than two decades ago. Central wholesale markets have been government-regulated since the 1920s in order to ensure cleanliness and smooth market functioning, much like financial markets.
Why the decline? Big retailers and supermarkets are increasingly buying fish directly from distributors without going through all the traditional wholesale layers. These buyers are tough on price, as Japanese consumers demand less-expensive fish. Some distributors also send the lowest-quality fish directly to developing countries.
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