Tsukiji Outer Market: build a morning around a few shops

A market since 1935

Tokyo's central fish market opened at Tsukiji in 1935, after the great earthquake of 1923 destroyed the old market at Nihonbashi. For more than eighty years it was the largest wholesale seafood market in the world. The wholesale halls and the tuna auction moved to a new building at Toyosu in October 2018.

The outer market grew up alongside to serve chefs and the public, and it never left. Around four hundred shops still trade in a few tight blocks.

What to eat

Breakfast here means seafood. Popular choices are a bowl of rice topped with raw fish, a few pieces of sushi at a standing counter, grilled scallops or eel on a skewer, and a thick slice of sweet rolled omelette served on a stick.

The shops also sell things to take home: dried bonito flakes, seaweed, green tea, pickles and kitchen knives from makers who have supplied chefs for generations.

Market manners

The lanes are narrow and are still used by people carrying deliveries. Do not eat while walking. Shops ask you to finish your food in front of the stall where you bought it. Leave large suitcases at your hotel.

If you want the tuna auction

Toyosu is a separate visit from Tsukiji’s outer market. Check Toyosu’s current official visitor and reservation information before planning to see an auction; this guide does not establish current viewing access.

A useful first stop

Plat Tsukiji provides visitor maps and English-language assistance. Ask about a shop you particularly want to visit, then plan a short route with a meal. Keep out of the way of professional buyers, use the designated eating space and ask before photographing a shop.

Check the published calendar for your date, then the individual shop’s hours. Bring only what you can carry comfortably in narrow lanes. If travelling with luggage, confirm available storage rather than assuming a restaurant can hold it.

Build a shopping list you can use

For cooking ingredients or utensils, decide how you will use and carry the purchase before comparing products. Ask about sizes, packing and storage where relevant. Leave goods you cannot take home out of the shopping plan rather than relying on an assumed import allowance.

For food, choose a main order first and keep another tasting optional. Ask where eating is permitted and avoid stopping where deliveries need to pass. Browsing a working market should leave room for the people using it for ordinary business.

Common questions