Vakashela Imakethe Yezinhlanzi Enkulu Kunazo Zonke Emhlabeni

Vakashela Imakethe Yezinhlanzi Enkulu Kunazo Zonke Emhlabeni

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJAPANE

UYAKUTHANDA yini ukuphithizela kwasemakethe? Kunemakethe engase ikuthakazelise kakhulu futhi eziheha ngempela izivakashi ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba okuthiwa iTsukiji, imakethe yezinhlanzi eqhele ngebanga lezinyawo eliyimizuzu engemingaki ukusuka maphakathi neTokyo. Kuthiwa iyimakethe yezinhlanzi enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.

Isikhathi esihle sokuya khona kusentathakusa. Le makethe iqala ukuphithizela ngenkathi iningi labantu baseTokyo lisalele. Amaloli aletha izinhlanzi ezifinyelela emathanini ayizinkulungwane ezimbili ngosuku, okudingeka ukuba asheshe ethulwe wonke ngoba abathengi baqala ukutheleka ngo-3:00 entathakusa. Abathengisi bashesha bahlele amabhokisi abo ezinhlanzi ngononina, bebhala inombolo ebhokisini, isisindo sezinhlanzi nendawo ezidotshwe kuyo. Kulula ukubona abathengi. Bagqoka amawudlu enjoloba namakepisi anenombolo yelayisense. Ngokungafani nezivakashi ezibuka amazwe ezithilileka kancane, abathengi bahamba ngokushesha besuka kwelinye itafula beya kwelinye behlola izinga lezinhlanzi futhi benquma nokuthi bazozithenga ngamalini. Labo abaphatha ingwegwe, ithoshi, kanye nethawula bangabathengi benhlanzi okuthiwa i-tuna. Abahlukani nala mathuluzi ngoba bahlola ngawo izinga lale nhlanzi enkulu, kanti ithawula elokusula izandla ngemva kokuthinta inhlanzi.

Kuba nobuhhomuhhomu nakakhulu ngo-5:30 ekuseni. Uzwa umsindo wokukhala kwezinsimbi yonke indawo njengoba abaphathi bemiqhudelwano yokuthenga bebiza abathengi ukuba bazoqala ukuqhudelana. Kuba sengathi laba baphathi bagcwele yonke indawo. Kodwa empeleni ziyisikhombisa izindawo ezithengisa izinto ngesamba ezisuke zinabantu abaqhudelanayo ngasikhathi sinye, kodwa ezinye ziba nabaphathi bemiqhudelwano yokuthenga ababili abasuke bethengisa eminye imikhiqizo ngesikhathi esifanayo. Bonke laba baphathi bendali babiza izinombolo zezinhlanzi ngezwi elihlukile elingelabo bodwa, bese abathengi abagunyaziwe beqhudelana besebenzisa iminwe yabo ngendlela eyingqayizivele. Ukuqhudelana kushesha kangangokuba intengo yesamba ngasinye sezinhlanzi inqunywa ngemizuzwana nje. Abanye abathengi bayakwazi ukuba semiqhudelwaneni emibili ngesikhathi esisodwa. Isitolo ngasinye sivunyelwe ukuba nomthengi oyedwa kuphela, ngakho abathengi kudingeka baphuthume besuka kwenye ingxenye beya kwenye ukuze bathole izinhlanzi abazidingayo. Cishe abatatazela kakhulu kunabo bonke, yilabo abathenga izinhlanzi eziningi kakhulu nezinhlobonhlobo ngenjongo yokuyozidayisa futhi ezitolo.

Lapho nje intengo isinqunyiwe, abathengi bakhathazeka ngokuyisa izinhlanzi ezindaweni zabo ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka. Abathuthela abathengi bathi chithi saka emigwaqweni emincane bethutha izinhlanzi ngezinqodlana eziqhutshwa ngezandla nangamaloli amancane. Kuyasheshwa, kuyaphithizela, kuyaxokozela yonke indawo. Kobukele, kungase kubonakale kuyisiyaluyalu esikhulu. Empeleni lesi sinyokotho sabantu silawulwa futhi sihlelwe sonke ngothi lwaso. Ngamahora ambalwa nje kuphela kudayiswa futhi kuthuthwe izinhlanzi ezingamathani angaphezu kwenkulungwane. Ezinye zalezi zinhlanzi ziyiswa ezitolo ezincane ezikwenye ingxenye yale makethe okuzothi ngamahora asekuseni zibe sezidayiselwa izinkulungwane zabathengi abamagange.

Njengoba ubona, iMakethe YaseTsukiji inkulu kakhulu. Izinkampane eziyisikhombisa eziyizikhondlakhondla okuyizona eziphatha imiqhudelwano yokudayisa kanye nabathengisi abancane abangaphezu kwenkulungwane babhalisiwe ukuba basebenze lapha. Unyaka wonke bagcinwa bematasa bedayisela amakhasimende acishe abe ngu-40 000 eza kule makethe usuku ngalunye.

Bangobani abathengi? Phakathi kwabo kukhona abathenga ngesamba ngoba bethengela amahhotela amakhulu, izitolo ezidayisa ukudla okuphekiwe, nezitolo ezinkulu. Kukhona nabanikazi bezitolo zokudla ezincane, izimakethe zezinhlanzi ezingomakhelwane, yebo nabanikazi bezitolo ezinhle ezincanyana kodwa ezichumayo ezidayisa i-sushi. Bonke laba bathengi balwela ukuthola imikhiqizo yekhethelo. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi sekukonke bathenga amathani okudla kwasolwandle angaba ngu-600 000 unyaka ngamunye besebenzisa imali engamaRandi angaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-36.

Empeleni, iTsukiji ayigcini nje ngokuba imakethe yezinhlanzi. Iyindawo yendali edayisa nezithelo nemifino ngobuningi. Ingenye yezimakethe ezinkulu ezingu-11 zezinto ezidayiswa ngesamba eTokyo ezilawulwa umasipala wedolobha wakhona. Umlando wezimakethe ezidayisa ukudla okusha usukela emuva ngo-1603. Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi izinga lihlala liphakeme nokuthi imithetho yenhlanzeko iyalandelwa, uhulumeni waqala ukulawula lezi zimakethe ngo-1877. Ukuzamazama komhlaba eTokyo kwango-1923 kwazicekela phansi izimakethe zakhona, kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwale Makethe YaseTsukiji ekhona namuhla, eyaqala ukusebenza ngo-1935.

Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi le makethe iye yakhula kakhulu. Ungazitholaphi izinhlanzi eziningi futhi ezinhlobonhlobo kangaka zidayiswa nsuku zonke? Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izinhlanzi ezinjenge-salmon, cod, sea bream, mackerel, sole, ne-herring kanye nesikhukhukhu (sea urchin), ukhukhamba wasolwandle (sea cucumber), nezimbaza—izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-450 ezivela emhlabeni wonke—ziyadayiswa lapha. Ezinye zezitolo ezincane kule makethe ziphatha uhlobo oluthile kuphela lokudla kwasolwandle njengengwane noma izimfanzi.

Nokho, yinye inhlanzi engumakhonya lapha. I-tuna enkulu, elethwa ngendiza ivela ezindaweni ezikude njengasoLwandle iMedithera naseNyakatho Melika. Ayikho enye inhlanzi esondela kulena ngobukhulu noma ngentengo. I-tuna ngayinye enkulu ingabiza izinkulungwane zamaRandi. Nsuku zonke kudayiswa amakhulu ngamakhulu e-tuna esanda kudotshwa noma egcinwe emakhazeni. Abathengi bayisika ibe izingxenye ezinkulu ezanele abathengisi bendawo. Amaqatha anonile ekhethelo okuthiwa i-toro, asikwa ngasezimbanjeni, ngokuvamile athelwa ngaphezulu kuyi-sushi.

Akumangazi ukuthi imakethe yezinhlanzi enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni ibe seJapane. Leli zwe lizungezwe ulwandlekazi nezilwandle ezintathu, ngakho abantu baseJapane kade bayijwayela imikhiqizo yasolwandle. Ngokuvamile inhlanzi iyingxenye esemqoka yokudla kwaseJapane okwehla esiphundu. Minyaka yonke, ngokuvamile umuntu waseJapane udla amakhilogremu angu-70 enhlanzi nezinye izinto zasolwandle, futhi okuningi kwako kuthengwa eMakethe YaseTsukiji. Ngakho uma kwenzeka uvakashela eTokyo, kungani ungabi omunye wezivakashi ezandayo ezivakashela imakethe yezinhlanzi enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 18]

Fish artwork: From the book L’Art Pour Tous, Encyclopedie de l’Art Industriel et Decoratif, Vol. 31, 1861-1906

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

James L. Stanfield/NGS Image Collection

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

Courtesy of Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market