Tokyo: 10 Things to Do in 24 Hours

You're jet-lagged and up before sunrise. That's the perfect time to head to Tsukiji, the busiest wholesale fish market in the world. As you make your way past the loading docks and mountains of polystyrene boxes, mind the motorized trolleys zipping around. (The dodginess of it adds to the adventure.) Make your way through the warren of seafood stalls and into the main market building, where the giant frozen tuna are laid out for inspection and sale, then hooked and hauled. Look for the big sign marked "Visitors' Passageway." This is your safe zone, and from here you can watch the live auctions, a daily ritual that's over by 6:30 a.m. A clanging bell signals that one is about to start.

Take the Hibiya line of the Tokyo Metro to Tsukiji station, exit 1.

• 1. Tsukiji Fish Market
  5-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 35.661389139.769722 tsukiji-market.or.jp