Fish market - Uoichiba

Japanese: 魚市場 - うおいちば

A fish market is a place or facility that specializes in the trading of marine products, mainly fresh fish and shellfish. Many countries have fish markets that specialize in the trading of marine products. The Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx, New York City, and the Rungis Public Market (general market) in Paris are famous, along with Japan's Tsukiji Market, but there are more fish markets in Asian countries, including Japan, where many people eat fish, than anywhere else. Fish markets can refer to markets where retail activities are conducted, but generally refer to markets where wholesale activities are conducted. They are also called uoshijo, uogashi, isaba, and sakanichi. Although fish markets are similar to fruit and vegetable markets in that they are made up of wholesalers (recipients, wholesalers (toiya/tonya)), middlemen (brokers), and retailers, fish markets generally have the characteristic of being formed in two stages, as a production area wholesale market (production area market) and a consumption area wholesale market (consumption area market), both at the fishing port where the fish is produced and at the urban consumption area. For example, Kushiro (Hokkaido), Hachinohe (Aomori Prefecture), Choshi (Chiba Prefecture), Misaki (Kanagawa Prefecture), Yaizu (Shizuoka Prefecture), and Sakaiminato (Tottori Prefecture) are production area markets, while the "central wholesale markets" in large cities such as Tsukiji in Tokyo and Fukushima in Osaka are consumption area markets. Of course, there are also fish markets that have the functional characteristics of both a production area and a consumption area. According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereafter referred to as MAFF), which has jurisdiction over the Wholesale Market Law, there are 35 "central wholesale markets" located in consumption areas that specialize in handling marine products (as of April 2015), 262 "local wholesale markets" (as of the end of fiscal year 2013), and 318 "local wholesale markets" (same as above) that are production area markets. However, in addition to these, there are many other fish markets with production area functions (around 400 markets) that have been opened in fishing ports, mainly small-scale markets opened by fishing cooperatives (fishery cooperatives).

[Katsuji Hiroyoshi September 15, 2015]

Modernizing the fish market

Japan's fish markets have gradually taken shape in line with the development of the commodity economy. In the fishing ports where fish are produced, there were two routes for the fish markets to take in the formation of modern wholesale market institutions.

One is the stage where fish wholesalers and pre-preparation merchants, characterized by pre-modern control over fishermen through stock preparation and bargaining, bought up fish, and then the development of fishing production prompted by the development of fishing techniques and distribution conditions, and the formation of wholesaler collective markets, which became the prototype of fish markets, as modern fishing port facilities were developed. The economic power of producers was strengthened by the increase in catch volume and the improvement of conditions for processing, storage, shipping, etc., which accompanied the increase in landing and concentration at specific fishing ports, and competitive transactions with the specialization of functions of local merchants (collection, division, brokerage, shipping, processing, etc.) became inevitable. Many merchants turned to investing in fishing production. At the same time, the pre-modern, privileged character of the pre-preparation merchants changed and the transformation into modern wholesale merchants progressed gradually. In Japan, from the end of the Meiji period through the Taisho period and into the early Showa period, during the infancy of the motorization of fishing boats and the shift to offshore and deep-sea fishing, pioneering wholesale markets were formed in major production areas such as Nagasaki, Shimonoseki, Misaki, Hachinohe, and Kesennuma, which became the background for the transition to wholesale markets.

The other was the case where fishermen's groups, such as fishermen's associations, developed their own cooperative sales movement (kyohan) and gained local wholesale markets through confrontations and struggles with fish wholesalers who cornered fish. Cooperative sales outlets in various fishing villages were formed mainly against the backdrop of the industrial association movement, fishing village economic rehabilitation movement, and fishing association cooperative association policy from the Taisho era to the prewar Showa era, as well as the progress of public development of fishing port facilities, and became the prototype of local fish markets.

On the other hand, in large urban consumer areas, wholesale collective markets were already formed and developed in the early Edo period in the 17th century. The Nihonbashi Market in Edo developed as a wholesale market due to the expansion of fish delivered to the shogunate by official merchants and the sale of the remaining fish to the common people, while the Zakoba Market in Osaka developed as a collective market for licensed privileged merchants along with the expansion of the city. In addition, the three fish markets in Kyoto were allowed to trade fresh fish and shellfish on a privileged basis, and the wholesale market developed under the stock association system. These privileged and guild-like wholesale markets were basically inherited into the Meiji period and after, supporting the kitchens of the common people, but against the backdrop of social unrest and food insecurity symbolized by the rice riots (1918) and the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923), the Central Wholesale Market Law was enacted in 1923 (Taisho 12) and they were finally placed under the control of the government as modern wholesale markets and modern wholesale merchants. Before World War II, the fishery product departments of central wholesale markets reorganized under this law began operations in seven cities, including Kyoto in 1927 (Showa 2), Yokohama (1931), Osaka (1931), Kobe (1932), and Tokyo (1935), and after the war, wholesale market fishery departments were opened in each city as facilities for the mass supply of fish and shellfish. This law played a positive role in promoting the spread of fish markets and the modernization of market traders.

[Katsuji Hiroyoshi September 15, 2015]

Post-World War II developments

Fish markets have developed significantly in the postwar development of fresh food distribution, especially in the process of Japan's rapid economic growth, and especially since the 1960s, as distribution and consumption have changed. First, looking at consumer markets, before the war, only 9 cities and 7 cities nationwide had opened urban central wholesale market seafood sections, but after the war, with the growth of the consumer economy, the increase in urban population, the development of roads and transportation, and the improvement of logistics technology, they were opened one after another. That is, 4 markets were opened in the 1940s, 14 markets in the 1950s, 15 markets in the 1960s, and 10 markets in the 1970s. Looking at the overall situation, by 1985, a total of 53 markets in 46 cities nationwide had opened central wholesale market seafood sections approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Of course, in addition to urban fish markets, local wholesale markets approved by prefectures were also developed (in the 1970s, more than 300 markets were opened nationwide). Among the central wholesale markets, Tsukiji Market grew significantly in size and content, and became known worldwide as the fish market of the big city of Tokyo, "TSUKIJI." The development of these consumer markets was due in part to rising national incomes and the expansion of urban economies, but a major factor was the development of automobile transport networks, coupled with improvements in logistics technology such as freezing, processing and storage, and the growth of supermarkets and the food service industry at the end of the distribution chain, which promoted mass distribution and mass consumption.

Meanwhile, local wholesale markets (fish markets at fishing ports) also developed greatly. After the war, the fishing industry recovered and expanded dramatically due to larger and more heavily equipped fishing boats, the expansion of fishing grounds to more distant waters and the use of motorized small fishing boats, and the development of shallow-water aquaculture based on new technologies such as fish (feeding) farming (annual catch volume, which was around 4 million tons in the 1950s, exceeded 6 million tons in 1965 and 8 million tons in 1970, and surpassed the 10 million tons mark in the 1980s). As the catch increased, the development of fishing port functions, freezing and refrigeration facilities, processing complexes, and other landing processing functions progressed, and local market facilities operated by fishing cooperatives and others were developed and expanded. Around 1980, there were approximately 900 fishing port facilities with fish market functions throughout the country. It is particularly noteworthy that many large-scale fishing port markets were developed with the astonishing capacity to land and process up to one million tons of fish per year (for example, Kushiro continued to land more than one million tons per year from 1983 to 1988, Choshi landed 820,000 tons in 1988, and Hachinohe and Sakaiminato both reached peak levels of 700,000 tons and 800,000 tons around 1990 (Heisei 2)).

The government recognized that the development of a fishery product distribution system centered on fish markets in consuming and producing areas was an important food distribution and consumption policy during the period of high economic growth. The old Central Wholesale Market Law was significantly revised in 1971 to become the Wholesale Market Law, aiming for a streamlined approach to respond to the trends of mass distribution and consumption. In producing areas, the fishery administration, which focused on the development of fishing ports, supported the development of fish markets.

[Katsuji Hiroyoshi September 15, 2015]

Changes in the situation since 2000 and restructuring of fish markets

Distribution policies centered on the Wholesale Market Organization had promoted the development of fish markets, but this form was forced to change from the late 1980s onwards against the backdrop of changes in distribution and the consumer economy. Firstly, the "200-mile problem" and the "oil shock" that erupted in the 1970s led to a rapid decline in domestic fishery production. The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1973) marked a decisive shift towards a so-called "200-mile regime" characterized by resource nationalism and the division of the oceans around the world, and it was becoming clear that many coastal and developing countries were catching up and that Japan was withdrawing from deep-sea and high seas fishing. At the same time, Japan's coastal resource, sardine catches, suffered a rapid decline (4.8 million tons of sardines in 1988 were reduced to less than one-tenth of that amount ten years later), and Japan's marine fisheries and aquaculture production fell below 8 million tons by 1994, when the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopted, to 6.25 million tons per year in 2000, and to 4.73 million tons in 2013. Secondly, coupled with a trend of declining production in domestic fisheries, imports became the mainstream source of seafood supplies. The increasing trend in seafood imports was a characteristic of the period of high economic growth, and in 1980 Japan surpassed the United States to become the world's largest importer of seafood. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Food Supply and Demand Table, marine product imports were 1.7 million tons (on a live fish basis) in 1980, but fluctuated to 3.8 million tons in 1990, 5.9 million tons in 2000, and 4.08 million tons in 2013. In 2013, 52% of domestic consumption was dependent on imports. Thirdly, the handling and distribution of marine products has undergone significant changes due to technological innovations in logistics and the development of information technology for supply and demand. Seasonal and regional distribution formats have been replaced by frozen and processed products, and marine products that are standardized, standardized, and fixed-price, and which can be adjusted to a certain extent for distribution, such as imported products, farmed products, live fish, and chilled products, have come to dominate.

With the above trends as a backdrop, the traditional wholesale market-based distribution of fishery products has declined, and off-market distribution, which is handled directly or indirectly by trading companies, major fishery companies, off-site wholesalers, etc., has become prominent. The decline in the handling performance of wholesale markets has been remarkable, and the handling of fishery products in the central wholesale markets as a whole, which was about 4 million tons and 3.4 trillion yen in 1990, shrank to about 3 million tons and 2.2 trillion yen in 2005, and to about 1.92 million tons and 1.6 trillion yen in 2013. The "wholesale market passing rate" estimated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for fishery products was about 80% around 1990, but fell to the 50% range in 2012. Many of the fishery products that consumers are most familiar with in the city, such as frozen tuna, shrimp, salmon, squid, and farmed fish, are now mainly distributed by players other than wholesale markets. The fact that organized retailers such as supermarkets and restaurant chains have become the mainstream of end-user distribution has also promoted this change. This has had an impact on the distribution of wholesale markets, especially on the content of goods handled by central wholesale markets in cities. On average, the proportion of fresh produce handled has increased to about 30% of the total (70% is frozen or processed), the collection method has changed from consignment collection to purchase collection, and the sales method has changed from the principle of open transactions such as auctions and bidding to relative sales. In a situation where the position of wholesale markets as a major distribution pipeline is beginning to waver, the national administration of wholesale markets has also promoted deregulation and reorganization of the entire market system, such as liberalizing and flexibly allowing purchase collection, third-party sales and direct hauling, which were previously prohibited in principle, and relaxing the fixed rate system of wholesale commissions (Wholesale Market Law amendment in 2004). On the other hand, many wholesale market operators and market traders have found themselves in financial difficulty, partly due to the collapse of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s, and there have been many cases of central wholesale markets tackling consolidation (or turning into local wholesale markets) and merging wholesalers. As of April 2015, the number of central wholesale markets with marine product departments had been reduced to 35 in 30 cities. These changes in fish market trends are no different in fishing port markets in the production areas.

Currently, fish markets are undergoing restructuring as part of the overall trend in wholesale market distribution, but it is also true that there are national expectations for them to play a central role in fulfilling the challenges and roles of expanding the selection of fresh food, strengthening distribution functions, ensuring safety and security, improving quality control, and providing appropriate information according to the type of distribution, such as cold chain, chilled, and live fish, and future developments will be closely watched.

[Katsuji Hiroyoshi September 15, 2015]

"The Formation and Characteristics of Fishery Product Distribution Mechanisms" by Hasegawa Akira (published in Fisheries Economics Research, Vol. 24, Combined Issues 3 and 4, 1979, Fisheries Economics Association) ▽ "Modern Wholesale Market Theory" edited by the Japan Agricultural Marketing Association (1999, Tsukuba Shobo) ▽ "Tsukiji and Ichiba: The Story of Tsukiji Market" by Mori Kiyomori (2008, Tosei Shimposha) ▽ "The History of Zakoba Fish Market: Fresh Fish Distribution in Osaka" by Sakai Ryosuke (2008, Seizando Bookstore) ▽ "The Distribution of Fresh Seafood and Production Area Strategies" by Hamada Eiji (2011, Seizando Bookstore)

Utagawa Kuniyasu, "The Prosperity of the Nihonbashi Fish Market"
This painting depicts the bustle of the Nihonbashi Fish Market (Uogashi), once known as "Edo's Kitchen." It began as a whitebait market during the Tensho era (1573-1592), and developed into a fish market after permission was granted to sell leftover fish that had been delivered to the Edo Shogunate within the city. After the stores were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 (Taisho 12), the market moved to Tsukiji after being set up as a temporary market in Shibaura. It began operating as a central wholesale market in 1935 (Showa 10). Triptych owned by the National Diet Library ">

Utagawa Kuniyasu, "The Prosperity of the Nihonbashi Fish Market"

Utagawa Hiroshige, "Illustration of famous places in Naniwa: The Fish Market at Zakoba"
This nishiki-e depicts the Zakoba Market, Osaka's largest fish market, which flourished during the Edo period. Since its opening in 1679 (Enpo 7) in Sagishima (now Nishi-ku, Osaka), the fish market flourished as the center of small fish trading in Osaka, and the painting shows wholesalers and fishmongers carrying poles coming and going. Merchants began to call Sagishima, where the fish market was located, "Zakoba (small fish market)," and eventually "Zakoba" came to be used to refer to fish markets. Zakoba Market continued to exist after the Meiji period, but with the opening of the Osaka Central Wholesale Market in 1931 (Showa 6), it came to an end. ( Owned by the National Diet Library )

Hiroshige Utagawa, "Illustration of famous places in Naniwa: The Fish Market at Zakoba"

Zakoba Fish Market (Taisho Period)
Edobori and Kyomachibori in Nishi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. "Osaka Prefecture Photo Album" (1914 (Taisho 3)) Owned by the National Diet Library .

Zakoba Fish Market (Taisho Period)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

生鮮魚貝類を中心とする水産物の取引を専門に行う場所、または施設をいう。水産物を専門に取引する魚市場は多くの国に存在する。ニューヨーク市ブロンクス区の「フルトン魚市場」や、パリ市「ランジス公益市場」（総合市場）などは、日本の築地(つきじ)市場（TSUKIJI）ともども有名であるが、魚食の民の多い日本をはじめアジアの国々には、どこよりも多くの魚市場が形成されてきた。魚市場は小売行為を行う市場（マーケット）をさす場合もあるが、一般には卸売行為を行う市場をさす。うおしじょう、魚河岸(うおがし)、五十集(いさば)、魚市(さかないち)、などともいう。卸売業者（荷受、問屋(といや／とんや)とも）、仲卸業者（仲買人）、小売業者などで構成される点では青果物(せいかぶつ)市場（青物(あおもの)市場）と異ならないが、魚市場は一般に産地漁港と都市消費地の両者にそれぞれ産地卸売市場（産地市場）、消費地卸売市場（消費地市場）として2段階で形成される特徴をもつ。たとえば釧路(くしろ)（北海道）、八戸(はちのへ)（青森県）、銚子(ちょうし)（千葉県）、三崎(みさき)（神奈川県）、焼津(やいづ)（静岡県）、境港(さかいみなと)（鳥取県）などは産地市場であり、東京都築地や大阪市福島など大都市における「中央卸売市場」は消費地市場である。もちろん、機能的に産地、消費地の両方の特徴を備えた魚市場もある。卸売市場法の所管である農林水産省（以下、農水省）調べによれば消費地にあって水産物を専門に取り扱う「中央卸売市場」として全国に35市場（2015年4月）、「地方卸売市場」としては全国に262市場が開設され（2013年度末）、産地市場については「地方卸売市場」として318市場（同前）がある。しかし、産地機能を有する魚市場についてはこれ以外にも漁業協同組合（漁協）開設の小規模市場を中心に漁港に多数（400市場前後）開設されている。

［廣吉勝治　2015年9月15日］

魚市場の近代化

日本の魚市場は商品経済の発展に伴ってしだいにその姿を整えてきた。産地漁港では魚市場が近代的な卸売市場機構として形成されるのに二様のコースがあった。

　一つは、仕込みや買いたたきなどによる前近代的な漁民支配を特徴とする魚問屋・仕込商人の買占めの段階から、漁労技術や流通条件の発達に促された漁業生産の発展と近代的な漁港施設整備のなかで魚市場の原型となる問屋集合市場が形成される場合である。漁獲量の増加とその特定漁港への水揚げ増加および集中に伴う加工処理・保管・出荷等の条件整備のなかで生産者の経済力は強められ、産地商人の機能の専門分化（集荷、分荷、仲買、出荷、加工等）の方向を伴った競争的取引が不可避となったからである。漁業生産への投資展開に向かう商人も少なくなかった。同時に、前近代的、特権的性格も変化しつつ仕込商人の近代的な卸売商人への転化が徐々に進行した。日本では明治末期から大正期を経て昭和初期に到る漁船漁業の動力化ならびに沖合・遠洋化の揺籃(ようらん)期において長崎、下関(しものせき)、三崎、八戸、気仙沼(けせんぬま)等の有力産地では問屋集合市場の先駆的形成がみられ、その卸売市場への移行の背景となった。

　もう一つは、漁業組合などの漁業者集団が自らの共同販売運動（共販）を発展させながら、買占め魚問屋との対立、抗争を通じて産地卸売市場を獲得していくものであった。漁村各地の組合共販所は、主として大正年間から昭和戦前期における産業組合運動や漁村の経済更生運動および漁業組合の協同組合化政策、さらには漁港施設等の公共的整備の進捗(しんちょく)を背景として形成され、産地魚市場の原型となった。

　他方、大都市消費地では、すでに17世紀江戸時代初期において問屋制集合市場の形成、発達がみられた。江戸・日本橋市場は御用商人による幕府への納魚とその納め残りの庶民への販売の拡大によって問屋市場として発展したものであり、大坂・雑喉場(ざこば)市場も免許鑑札を受けた特権商人たちの集合市場として、都市の拡大に沿って発達したものである。また、京都の魚市場も三つの魚屋(うおや)町の魚市場において特権的な生鮮魚貝取引が許可され、問屋市場も株仲間制度のなかで発展した。このような特権的、ギルド的問屋市場は明治期以降にも基本的に引き継がれ、庶民の台所を支えてきたが、米騒動（1918）や関東大震災（1923）などに象徴される社会不安、食糧不安を背景に、ついに1923年（大正12）中央卸売市場法の制定によって近代的卸売市場、近代的卸売商人として、政府の統轄のもとに置かれることとなった。第二次世界大戦以前、同法に基づいて再編された中央卸売市場水産物部の業務開始は、1927年（昭和2）の京都を初めとして、横浜（1931）、大阪（1931）、神戸（1932）、東京（1935）など7都市でみられたが、戦後になって各都市で魚貝類の大量供給を図る施設として卸売市場水産物部の開設が進行した。同法は魚市場の普及や市場業者の近代化を図るうえで積極的役割を果たした。

［廣吉勝治　2015年9月15日］

第二次世界大戦後の発展

魚市場は戦後の生鮮食料品流通の発展、とりわけ日本の高度経済成長の過程、とくに1960年代以降における流通・消費の変化のなかで大きく発展した。まず消費地市場についてみると、都市の中央卸売市場水産物部の開設は戦前は全国に7都市・9市場にとどまったが、戦後は消費経済の成長、都市人口の増加、道路や輸送手段の発達および物流技術の向上のなかで相次いで開設された。すなわち、昭和20年代に4市場、30年代に14市場、40年代に15市場、50年代に10市場が開設され、全体を通してみると1985年（昭和60）には累計で全国46都市・53市場で農水省認可に基づく中央卸売市場水産物部の開設がみられた。もちろん、都市の魚市場はこのほかに都道府県認可に基づく地方卸売市場の整備もなされた（1970年代には全国に300市場以上の開設をみた）。中央卸売市場のなかで「築地市場」はその規模、内容において大きく成長を遂げ、大都市・東京の魚市場「TSUKIJI」として世界に知られる存在となった。こうした消費地市場発展の背景には国民所得の増加や都市経済の膨張という状況もあるが、自動車輸送網の整備、冷凍・加工・保蔵等の物流技術の向上と相まって、末端流通におけるスーパーや外食産業の成長によって大量流通・大量消費が促進されたことが大きい。

　一方、産地卸売市場（漁港魚市場）も大いに発展した。戦後復興を遂げた漁業生産は漁船の大型化と重装備化、漁場の遠洋化と外延的拡大および小型漁船の動力化、ならびに魚類（給餌(きゅうじ)）養殖等新たな技術を背景とした浅海養殖業の発展等により飛躍的に拡大したからである（1950年代に400万トン台であった年間漁獲量は1965年には600万トン、1970年には800万トンをそれぞれ凌駕(りょうが)し、1980年代には1000万トンの大台に乗せた）。水揚げの増大に伴い漁港機能や冷凍冷蔵施設、加工団地等水揚げ処理機能の整備が進捗し、漁協等が運営する産地市場施設の整備・拡充が図られた。1980年ごろ、魚市場機能を有する漁港施設は全国に約900市場存在した。なかでも、年間100万トンに及ぶ驚異的な水揚げ処理能力を有する大規模漁港市場が数多く整備されたことは特筆すべきである（たとえば、釧路では1983～1988年まで年間100万トン以上の水揚げが続き、銚子では1988年に82万トン、八戸や境港でも1990年（平成2）前後に70万トン、80万トンとなり、それぞれ水揚げのピークを形成した）。

　行政にとって、こうした消費地、産地の魚市場を中軸とした水産物流通機構の整備は、高度経済成長期における重要な食料品流通・消費施策と認識された。旧来の中央卸売市場法は、大量流通・消費の動向に対応する合理化の方向を目ざすべく、1971年大幅改正され卸売市場法となった。また、産地においては、漁港整備を中心とした水産行政が魚市場整備を後押しした。

［廣吉勝治　2015年9月15日］

2000年以降の状況変化と魚市場再編

卸売市場機構を中心とした流通施策が魚市場の発展を促してきたが、この形は流通・消費経済の変化を背景として1980年代後半以降変容が避けられなくなった。その内容は、第一に、1970年代以降に勃発(ぼっぱつ)した「200海里問題」や「石油ショック」を契機として国内漁業生産が急速な減産傾向を強めたことである。第三次国連海洋法会議の開催（1973）を契機として、世界的に資源ナショナリズムと海洋分割を特徴とするいわゆる「200海里体制」への移行が決定的な状況となり、多くの沿岸国・途上国の追上げと日本漁業の遠洋・公海漁業からの撤退が明白となりつつあった。あわせて、日本の近海資源であるマイワシ漁獲が急速に縮減する変動にみまわれ（1988年、480万トンあったマイワシは10年後にはその10分の1も獲れなくなった）、日本の海面漁業養殖業生産は国連海洋法条約が採択される1994年には800万トンを割り込み、2000年（平成12）には年間625万トン、2013年には473万トンの水準にまで低落した。第二に、国内漁業の減産傾向とも相まって輸入による水産物供給が主流となったことである。水産物輸入の増加傾向は高度経済成長期の特徴であったが、日本は1980年にはアメリカをしのぎ水産物輸入額世界一の輸入大国となった。農水省「食料需給表」によれば水産物輸入量は1980年に170万トン（原魚ベース）であったが、1990年に380万トン、2000年に590万トン、2013年に408万トンと推移した。2013年では国内消費仕向量の52％を輸入に依存したことになる。第三に、水産物の取扱いや流通形態が、物流技術革新や需給情報化の技術展開によって著しい変化を遂げたことである。季節性や地域性のある生鮮中心の流通形態は冷凍・加工品中心にとってかわられるようになり、また輸入品や養殖物、活魚、チルドといったある程度流通調整可能な、規格・定型・定価品的な水産物が主流を占めるようになった。

　以上のような動向を背景として、従来の卸売市場を中心とした水産物流通は後退し、商社や大手水産会社、場外問屋等が直接、間接に担う市場外流通が台頭するようになった。卸売市場の取扱実績の低下は著しく、中央卸売市場全体では1990年約400万トン・3兆4000億円あった水産物取扱いが2005年には約300万トン・2兆2000億円、2013年には約192万トン・1兆6000億円に縮減した。農水省が推計する「卸売市場経由率」は、水産物の場合、1990年ごろは8割程度あったが、2012年では5割台に低下している。冷凍マグロ・エビ・サケ・イカ、養殖魚等、市中で消費者がもっともなじみにしてきた水産物の多くは卸売市場以外の担い手によりおもに流通するようになった。スーパーのような組織型小売業や外食チェーンが末端流通の主流となったことも、こうした変化を助長した。このことは卸売市場流通とりわけ都市の中央卸売市場等の取扱内容にも影響を及ぼし、平均的な動向であるが、生鮮品の取扱割合は全体の3割程度（7割は冷凍・加工品等）、集荷方法は委託集荷中心から買付集荷中心へ、販売方法は原則的なせり・入札等の公開取引中心から相対(あいたい)販売中心へとそれぞれ変化した。流通の太いパイプとしての地位が大きく揺らぎ始めている状況のなかで、国の卸売市場行政においても、従来原則禁止であった買付集荷、第三者販売や直荷引き等を自由化・弾力化したり、卸売手数料の定率制度の緩和等、市場制度全体の規制緩和と再編を促している（2004年、卸売市場法改正）。一方、卸売市場運営や市場業者は1990年代初頭の「バブル経済」崩壊の影響も手伝って経営的に苦況にたつものが多く現れ、中央卸売市場の場合もその統廃合（あるいは、地方卸売市場化）や卸売業者の合併等に取り組むケースが続生した。2015年4月の時点で水産物部を開設する中央卸売市場は30都市で35市場に縮減した。魚市場のこうした動向変化は産地漁港市場においても変わらない。

　現在、魚市場は卸売市場流通全体の動向のなかで再編途上にあるが、生鮮食品の品揃(しなぞろ)え充実や流通機能強化、安心安全確保や品質管理の高度化、コールドチェーン、チルド、活魚など流通形態に応じた適切な情報発信等の課題と役割を担う中核として国民的期待があることも事実であり、今後の動向が注目される。

［廣吉勝治　2015年9月15日］

『長谷川彰著「水産物流通機構の形成と性格」（『漁業経済研究』第24巻3・4合併号所収・1979・漁業経済学会）』▽『日本農業市場学会編『現代卸売市場論』（1999・筑波書房）』▽『森清杜著『「築地」と「いちば」――築地市場の物語』（2008・都政新報社）』▽『酒井亮介著『雑喉場魚市場史――大阪の生魚流通』（2008・成山堂書店）』▽『濱田英嗣著『生鮮水産物の流通と産地戦略』（2011・成山堂書店）』

[参照項目] | 市場 | 魚河岸 | 卸売商 | 雑喉場 | 水産物流通 | 中央卸売市場 | 築地 | 問屋 | 仲買人

歌川国安『日本橋魚市繁栄図』
かつて「江戸の台所」と称された日本橋魚市場（魚河岸）のにぎわいを描いたもの。天正年間（1573～1592）に白魚市が開かれたのが始まりで、江戸幕府に納めた魚類の残余を市中に販売する許可が下りたのをきっかけに魚市場として発展していった。1923年（大正12）の関東大震災で店舗が消失したことから、芝浦の仮設の臨時市場を経て築地へ移転。1935年（昭和10）から中央卸売市場として業務を開始した。三枚続国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川国安『日本橋魚市繁栄図』

歌川広重『浪花名所図会　雑喉場魚市の図』
江戸時代に栄えた大坂最大の魚市場、雑喉場市場の光景を描いた錦絵。1679年（延宝7）鷺島（現、大阪市西区）に開設されて以降、大坂の雑魚取引の中心として繁栄した魚市場で、絵には問屋や天秤棒を担う魚屋が行き交うようすが描かれている。商人たちは魚市場のあった鷺島を「ざこば（雑喉場、雑魚場）」とよぶようになり、やがて「ざこば」は魚市場をさすことばとして使われるようになった。雑喉場市場は明治以降も存続したが、1931年（昭和6）の大阪市中央卸売市場開場により、その使命を終えた国立国会図書館所蔵">

歌川広重『浪花名所図会　雑喉場魚市の図…

雑喉場魚市場（大正時代）
大阪府大阪市西区江戸堀・京町堀。『大阪府写真帖』（1914年〈大正3〉）国立国会図書館所蔵">

雑喉場魚市場（大正時代）

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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