The auction was held far away from the viewing aisle

Sapporo Central Wholesale Market's Fisheries Department

Although I came expecting to see what kind of scene I would see, what I actually saw was a little different from what I had expected. Indeed, an actual auction was taking place. A person with a megaphone in his hand was speaking, and people lined up around him were reacting in some way. It was an auction. But it was taking place much farther away than I had imagined, and the enthusiasm of the working men had cooled down by the time it reached me. Having heard that I could observe the auction if I applied for it, I arrived at Sapporo Central Wholesale Market before 6:00 a.m., but as I stood in the observation aisle on the second floor with my camera ready, I felt down.

But it couldn't be helped. This is a wholesale market, where men earnestly buy and sell fresh foods. A man who has come to the market as a tourist is nothing more than a distraction. I was well aware of that, but I wanted to get a closer look. At the very least, I would have liked to enter the auction room on the first floor, instead of the second floor viewing aisle. The sound of the shutter was the only sound echoing in the empty second-floor passageway.

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