We went to Tsukiji for the fish auction, something we were told not to miss. First they sort the fish by general quality, and number them.
The buyers would take little pieces from the tail and check them for water content and consistency. The auction started at 6:00 am and was fast and furious, filled with the sound of bells, followed by the chant like tones of the auctioneer. Each of the big tunas went for thousands of dollars. Some of them came from as far away as Ireland. From there they were hauled away on carts or motorized round flatbed go-cart things. Some of the fish where power sawed into quarters on site.
Also throughout Tsukiji there was every kind of fish imaginable for sale. They were quite colorful, and some of the critters were still alive!
Meanwhile, back at the Seminars ...
On this day, we had a choice of four seminars to attend. I went to the one on Mathematics curriculum. The speaker is the director of curriculum and shared with us the changes they have made to make the curriculum more user friendly and interesting for the students. He was very honest and really gave us insitful information when asked direct questions. Although there is movement in curriculum design to take into consideration learning styles of students, there are many teachers out there that resist change. Sound familiar? After the seminar I thanked him for his forthright answers. A second seminar was by an art teacher who also played a tune on a pipe he made!
Time for go!
One last meeting was for the Ito group to get their orientation about their upcoming trip and then out into Akasaka district to get food!
