Toyosu Market

Toyosu Market opened in October 2018, when Tokyo's wholesale fish and produce market moved from Tsukiji to a new site on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay. It is almost twice the size of the old market and is often described as the largest fish market in the world. Unlike Tsukiji's atmospheric chaos, Toyosu is a modern, sealed complex of three connected buildings with long visitor corridors and windows overlooking the trading floors, which makes it hygienic and orderly but also more of a viewing experience than a wander. The main draw is the tuna auction, held in the Fisheries Wholesale Market Building in the early morning. Anyone can watch it free through the windows of the upper gallery, and a closer lower observation deck is open only to visitors who apply in advance through a lottery run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The Fisheries Intermediate Wholesale Market Building, where dealers sell to restaurants, has Uogashi Yokocho, a shopping area for kitchen tools and food, and a rooftop Green Roof Plaza with views across the bay. The market has about forty restaurants, most famously the sushi counters that moved here from Tsukiji, such as Sushi Dai, which still draw long queues from before dawn, alongside places serving seafood bowls, tempura, curry and coffee. Most close by early afternoon. Next door, Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai, opened in 2024, is an Edo-themed complex with a food hall and a hot-spring spa that stays open longer. The market is free, closed on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays, and reached from Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome Line.

Toyosu or the Tsukiji Outer Market? They complement each other. Toyosu is where the real wholesale trade now happens and the only place to see the tuna auction, but it is a modern facility and much of the experience is through glass. The Tsukiji Outer Market, which stayed in its old home, is the better place for street food and atmosphere. Serious food lovers should do both: Toyosu at dawn for the auction and a sushi breakfast, then Tsukiji for snacks and knives later in the morning, if the calendar allows.

To see the auction, arrive early in the morning. The auction runs for a short window around dawn, and the gallery fills quickly. If you want the lower deck, apply for the lottery well before your trip on the official Tokyo Metropolitan Government site. Check the market calendar before setting an alarm, since the market is closed on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays, and the auction does not run on closed days. For sushi, the most famous counters can mean a wait of hours; lesser-known counters in the same buildings serve excellent fish with far shorter lines. Bring cash, eat by late morning, and remember that this is a working market: stay in visitor areas and keep clear of vehicles.

The Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi reaches Shijo-mae Station in about half an hour, with direct covered walkways to the market buildings; there is no parking for visitors. Toyosu pairs well with teamLab Planets, a few stops away, and with a relaxed soak at the Senkyaku Banrai spa afterward. Families with early-rising children will find the auction and the giant tuna surprisingly gripping. The visitor corridors also have displays explaining how fish are graded, auctioned and distributed across Japan, which helps make sense of what you are watching. If you are staying in the east of the city, a taxi in the pre-dawn hours is the easiest way to reach the auction in time, since the first trains may not get you there for the start. Afterward, the bayside promenade outside the market is a pleasant place to watch the city wake up.