Going, going, gone!

Tokyo fishmongers gathered before dawn yesterday for one final tuna auction at the world-famous Tsukiji market before it closed its doors to move to a new site.

It was an emotional moment for veterans of the market, the beating heart of Tokyo’s culinary scene for decades, which many acknowledged had become too rundown to support its mammoth operations. “I’m almost crying,” said Hisao Ishii, a retired seafood auctioneer who was back at the market for its final day. In the weak early-morning sun, traders filed into a warehouse for the last tuna auction, an indispensable ritual in Tokyo’s culinary world, and a major tourist draw.

Hundreds of fresh and frozen tuna tagged with their weight and port of origin were laid out in lines in a refrigerated warehouse, as buyers in rubber boots quietly inspected the wares. They rubbed slices between their fingers and shone torches into the insides of the fish, swapping information with rivals before the showdown began.