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