While Mariko was busy on the day we wanted to visit Tsukiji, my partner and I were lucky enough to be shown through the tuna auction and market by her friend Guts. He did a great job explaining the process to us, and he showed us through the 'outer inner' market afterward which was great. Extra credit to Guts for meeting us at 3:30am after working until 11pm the night before!! We probably won't make the early morning effort for the tuna auction again - it didn't quite live up to the expectations we had - however this really had nothing to do with Guts' service. I would certainly recommend having Guts or Mariko as a guide for Tsukiji Fish Market in general - just don't view the tuna auction as a 'make or break'. They can also show you to the amazing sushi place (complete with a 2.5hr line)!

Sachiko was wonderful! We had an enjoyable few hours in her company, learning about Shinjuku, the Golden Gai and all the various districts in the area. The tour was both interesting and informative. We finished the evening with a lovely sushi meal :) Thank you Sachiko!