Massive Fire Breaks Out At Japan's Famed Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji fish market Wikimedia/Aimaimiy
Elizabeth Licata|

An enormous fire broke out at Japan's famous Tsukiji Fish Market this week, but firefighters report there were no casualties. Several restaurants lost a fortune in ruined equipment and ingredients, though.


According to Sora News 24, the fire started in a restaurant in the outer market area around Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market, which is the largest fish market in the world. The inner market, where the famous tuna auctions take place, was unharmed in the fire. But the outer market of Tsukiji is full of very tightly packed restaurants, most of which serve sushi and seafood right from the market.

The fire reportedly spread quickly. Seven buildings caught fire, and the fire was over 10,000 square feet in area. It took eight hours for 63 fire trucks to completely extinguish the fire.

The fire broke out around 5 p.m. on Thursday, which was fortunate timing. The restaurants around the outer market of Tsukiji generally open early and are closed by early afternoon. That meant that by 5 p.m., most of the buildings were closed and there were very few people around when the fire broke out.

The Tokyo fire department says nobody was trapped or injured in the fire. Those that were in the area were able to evacuate safely.

Still, many buildings were seriously damaged by smoke and fire. The fire also caused a large power outage in the area, which means many of the restaurants lost large amounts of very expensive seafood.

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