The Sumi-ya restaurant at Tsukiji

The literal meaning of Tsukiji is 'built land', i.e. re-claimed land; the district is where there used to be lowland marshes at the Sumida River delta. During the Tokugawa period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa Shogun directed extensive excavations, both of canals, and a moat for the greatly expanded fortifications of Edo castle; the marshes along the river were systematically filled with spoil from these, the land thus newly created being used for housing and waterfront commercial centres.