Tsukiji and Toyosu Guide: Markets, Sushi, and What Tourists Should Know

Tsukiji is where visitors go to eat; Toyosu is where the wholesale market now works. The inner wholesale market and its tuna auction moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu in 2018. The Tsukiji Outer Market, the streets of shops and stalls around the old site, stayed, and it is still one of the best places in Tokyo for a seafood breakfast. For other early options, see breakfast in Tokyo.

See also best sushi in Tokyo, Tokyo food tours and first day in Tokyo.

Tsukiji or Toyosu?

Tsukiji Outer Market

1. Arrive between about 7 and 9 a.m., when most shops are open and the crowds are lighter.
2. Choose one sit-down breakfast, such as a seafood rice bowl or sushi, or graze on a few grilled snacks.
3. Look at the knife shops if you want a good Japanese kitchen knife; several engrave names.
4. Leave before late morning, when the narrow streets are packed.

Etiquette: keep moving in the narrow lanes, eat beside the stall where you bought your food rather than walking with it, and carry cash for the smaller stalls. Check the market calendar before a Wednesday visit.

Toyosu Market

Toyosu is a working wholesale market, not a food court, so it has its own rules:

• The visitor route. A second-floor walkway with windows over the tuna auction floor and the market is open without a reservation from 5 a.m., except on Sundays, public holidays and market holidays. The auction is usually over by around 6:30 a.m., so go very early to see it.
• The observation deck. A lower deck closer to the auction floor is open for a short time each morning, from about 5:45 to 6:15, to visitors who win a place in an advance lottery on the market's official website.
• Eating. The market buildings have sushi and seafood restaurants that open early. Next door, the Senkyaku Banrai complex has food halls and a hot spring bath.

Rules change, so check the official Toyosu Market website the week you go.

Sushi

• Market sushi is convenient and fun for a first breakfast, and quality varies from stall to stall.
• The best sushi counters are elsewhere in the city, and need booking well ahead; see best sushi in Tokyo.

The longest queue isn't always the best fish. Ask what is in season.

Getting there

Tsukiji Outer Market: a short walk from Tsukiji Station (Hibiya Line) or Tsukijishijo Station (Oedo Line), or about 15 minutes on foot from Ginza.

Toyosu Market: Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, connected to the market by walkways. Allow plenty of time if you are coming from the west side of Tokyo; the auction starts before the first trains reach Toyosu from much of the city, so a taxi may be the only way to see it.

If you are jet-lagged and staying in Shinjuku, save this for day two or later rather than your first morning (first day guide).

Nearby

• An afternoon in Ginza, and its department-store food halls.
• teamLab Planets, a short ride from Toyosu; book a timed ticket.
• Hama-rikyu Gardens, between Tsukiji and the bay, for a quieter hour.

FAQ

Is Tsukiji still open? The Tsukiji Outer Market is, with its shops and restaurants. The inner wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018.

Tsukiji or Toyosu for first-timers? Tsukiji Outer Market for an easy breakfast. Toyosu if you want to see the tuna auction and the wholesale market at work.

What time should I go? Tsukiji between about 7 and 9 a.m. Toyosu as early as possible, ideally before 6 a.m., if you want to see the auction.

Do I need a tour? No. Both are easy to visit on your own. A guide can explain what you are seeing at Toyosu, but it isn't necessary.