Best Sushi in Tokyo: From ¥100 Conveyor Belts to Omakase Counters

Sushi in Tokyo comes at three price levels. A standing bar costs a few thousand yen. A morning at Toyosu Market costs a little more, plus a queue. A reservation-only counter costs tens of thousands. Some of the famous names no longer take bookings from the public at all, so check before you plan around them.

Standing bars

Uogashi Nihon-ichi. A standing sushi chain: you order a piece or two at a time at the counter. The original shop is in front of Shimbashi Station, and there are branches in Shibuya (Dogenzaka), Shinjuku (west exit), Shinagawa, Akihabara and elsewhere. No booking.

Conveyor-belt (kaiten) sushi is cheaper still and fine for a quick lunch.

Toyosu Market, from 6am

The sushi shops that made Tsukiji's inner market famous moved to Toyosu in 2018.

Sushi Dai. The one with the longest queue. 6:00–14:00 or until sold out, closed Sundays, holidays and market holidays (mostly Wednesdays). Expect to wait. 6-5-1 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Building 6, 3F · 03-6633-0042

Daiwa Sushi. Also at Toyosu, in the fruit and vegetable building, 6:00–13:00. Closed Sundays, holidays and market holidays.

Tsukiji Outer Market still has plenty of sushi and seafood-bowl shops, without the Toyosu queues.

Counters (book ahead)

Sukiyabashi Jiro, Roppongi Hills. Run by Takashi Ono, the founder's younger son; it has held two Michelin stars. The original Ginza shop no longer takes public reservations and left the Michelin Guide in 2020.

Sushi Sawada (Ginza). A small counter that has held two Michelin stars for years. Expect to spend up to about ¥60,000.

Sushi Masuda (Omotesando). Masaru Masuda trained at Sukiyabashi Jiro for nine years before opening his own counter, two minutes from Omotesando Station. Dinner is around ¥40,000.

Sushi Saito held three Michelin stars for ten years, then became members-only, which took it out of the guide in 2020. Unless a member takes you, you can't book it.

FAQ

Is Sushi Dai still at Tsukiji? No. It moved to Toyosu Market in 2018.

Can I book Sukiyabashi Jiro or Sushi Saito? Not the original Jiro, and not Saito. Jiro's Roppongi Hills shop takes reservations.

Where can I eat good sushi without booking? A standing bar like Uogashi Nihon-ichi, or Toyosu early in the morning if you don't mind a queue.

For other Tokyo food, see best ramen in Tokyo and best tempura in Tokyo.