A FIRE broke out in four buildings at the world’s largest and most famous fish market in Japan, which attracts thousands of tourists daily.

Store owners and tourists were forced to evacuate at the Tsukiji fish market as the incident continues.

Firefighters battled the blaze as helicopters hovered overhead.

The Tokyo Fire Department reported that the building was burning at “Tsukiji fish market” in Tokyo from 3pm Thursday local time, NHK reports.

According to the Tokyo Fire Department and other media outlets, the fire started in a three-storey building.

A total of 43 fire engines were deployed to extinguish the fire, NHK said. “I could tell immediately that it’s a fire,” said Kiyoshi Kimura, the head of the Sushizanmai restaurant chain, who was at his office in the area when the fire broke out.

“So I called managers and had everyone evacuated from our restaurants,” Kimura told AFP.

But local reports say three buildings then caught fire after the main blaze broke out, making it a total of four fires in the outer market area, covering up to 200sqm, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Locals told of how they could smell smoke and ash 3.5km away near the famous Tokyo Tower.

No reports of injuries or fatalities have emerged yet as plumes of smoke emerged from the area.

Pictures from the scene have emerged on social media as Tokyo’s police and fire department investigate the cause of the fire.

30+ fire engines on the scene as fire breaks out in Tsukiji’s outer market. pic.twitter.com/Rornj6FPJB — Nippon.com (@nippon_en) August 3, 2017

The 80-year-old Tsukiji fish market is known worldwide for its new year tuna auctions, and is one of Japan’s biggest tourist attractions.

More than 1,600 tonnes of seafood worth about $1.6bn yen go through the market every day.

The fish market – the largest in the world - is also moving from its current location to the site of a former gas plant.