Surrounding the main fish market area are an array of stalls selling a variety of produce, including daikon radishes, mushrooms, and fresh wasabi.

Japanese cuisine takes the preparation of fresh seafood seriously, which makes Tsukiji Market a major place for buying and selling the most astonishingly fresh, high-quality and diverse array of fish and shellfish on the planet. The action begins in the pre-dawn hours, as truckloads of fish arrive from all over the world, including giant tuna (maguro). The most prized blue-fin tuna command thousands of dollars, especially those that include fatty tuna, a.k.a.

"otoro" that simply melts in the mouth when served as sushi.

While Tsukiji is a popular tourist attraction, it is first and foremost a place where business is conducted and food must maintain sanitary conditions -- so visitors are warned to watch for fast-moving trucks and carts, avoid touching any seafood and to not use flash when photographing the fish auction, to avoid distracting the auctioneers and bidders.

• Read more from my Day 2: Tsukiji, Harajuku and Odaiba tour diary
• Visit the official Tsukiji Market website for more photos and info about visiting this amazing wholesale market
• See About.com's Japan Travel guide to visiting Tsukiji Market
• Read more about Pop Japan Travel's Tours
• Visit the Pop Japan Travel website for more photos from past tours and info about upcoming events.
• See more photos from the 2008 Mind Over Manga Tour of Japan