Regarding the Feb. 7 article "Tsukiji looks to curb glut of pesky tourists": There is no question that there are too many tourists in Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market, although whether they are "pesky" is a matter of opinion. It's a wonder it has taken the merchants this long to say something.
But to avoid the problems and anger that will ensue, I strongly suggest not only that the "new rules" be written in clear and easy-to-understand English, but also that they actually be posted. Why is it that they "are expected to be posted"? What does that mean? That unsuspecting tourists will wander in and then merchants will scream at them to get out?
Also, where will the visitor get an "application" to visit the site in advance? How will we find that out?
And now, suddenly, the market is going to "disclaim any liability for accidents that happen inside the market"? Right. Has there ever once been a story about a tourist getting hurt and the settlement they received? The entire fish market is a lawsuit waiting to happen. They should have closed it off years ago.
As far as "smoking" goes, there are any number of merchants who don't seem to mind smoking to beat the band while ashes from their cancer sticks softly fall on expensive pieces of tuna. So, hopefully, they too will be "prohibited" from smoking except in designated areas.