Tsukiji vs. Toyosu: Which Is Tokyo's Ultimate Fish Market?
Apr 10, 2024
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Two names come up when you plan a fish market morning in Tokyo: Tsukiji and Toyosu. The question most first-time visitors ask is simpler than the rivalry suggests. Toyosu took over the wholesale auctions in 2018, yet Tsukiji did not close. Its Outer Market is still open for a sushi breakfast.
This guide breaks down the Tsukiji vs. Toyosu debate so you can choose the one that fits your trip, with the hours, cost, and nearest station laid out for each market.
Not entirely. In October 2018, only the inner wholesale market and the tuna auctions moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu, a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. The Tsukiji Outer Market stayed put and remains open today, with more than 400 shops selling sushi, street food, knives, and cookware.
So you can still visit both. Toyosu is where the professional auctions and modern seafood halls now operate. Tsukiji is where you go for the old market streets and a hands-on food morning. Many travelers do one on each morning of a Tokyo stay.
We'll build a costed, pre-planned Japan itinerary you can customise to your taste.
Tsukiji (Outer Market)
What it is: Historic outer market streets
Best for: Sushi breakfast, street food, knives and cookware
Atmosphere: Open streets, small shops, lively early
Hours: Around 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sundays and select Wednesdays
Cost: Free to walk (pay per shop)
Nearest station: Tsukiji Shijo (Oedo Line), Tsukiji (Hibiya Line)
Toyosu Market
What it is: Modern wholesale market and auction hall
Best for: Tuna auction viewing, seafood halls, restaurants
Atmosphere: Enclosed, temperature-controlled, viewing decks
Hours: Around 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Sundays, most Wednesdays, national holidays
Cost: Free admission
Nearest station: Shijo-mae (Yurikamome Line)
Tsukiji is often called Tokyo's Kitchen. The city's fish trade began at Nihonbashi in the Edo period, then relocated to Tsukiji, which opened as an integrated wholesale market in 1935. For decades it grew into the largest wholesale fish market in the world before the inner market moved to Toyosu.
Today the draw is the Outer Market. Merchants and buyers still fill the streets, and the smell of grilled seafood carries between the stalls. You can eat a sushi breakfast, watch chefs work on a walking tour, and shop for Japanese knives and cookware to take home.
Tsukiji Outer Market: The Facts
Hours: most shops open around 5 a.m. and close by around 2 p.m.
Closed: Sundays and select Wednesdays
Cost: free to walk the streets, then pay per shop
Nearest station: Tsukiji Shijo Station on the Oedo Line, or Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya Line
Good for: sushi breakfast, street food, knives and cookware
Go early. The energy peaks in the first hours after dawn, and popular sushi counters build a queue well before mid-morning.
Embark on a culinary journey through Tokyo! Dive into the vibrant Tsukiji Market and master authentic Japanese dishes.
Toyosu opened on October 11, 2018, on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, and it now handles the wholesale trade Tsukiji once ran. The market sits inside temperature-controlled, fully enclosed halls, which protects the fish and keeps handling hygienic. You view the action from dedicated decks and eat in restaurants rather than at street stalls.
At the first tuna auction of 2026, a 243 kg bluefin tuna sold for ¥510 million, about $3.2 million, beating the 2019 record.
Toyosu Market: The Facts
Hours: around 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Sundays, most Wednesdays, and national holidays
Cost: free admission
Nearest station: Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome Line
Good for: the tuna auction, seafood halls, and market restaurants
The tuna auction is the reason many visitors set an alarm for 4 a.m. There are two ways to watch it.
The free upper observation deck is open to everyone with no reservation. You look down at the auction floor through glass from the level above.
The ground-level viewing deck puts you close to the auction, and it requires a lottery. About 3 groups of roughly 40 people are admitted in 10-minute slots between about 5:45 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Apply ahead of your trip if the close-up view matters to you.
Join us on our guided Fish Market Tour at Tsukiji and take in all that this amazing place has to offer.
Your choice comes down to time and travel style. Both markets are free to enter and open early, so a keen eater can fit both into a single Tokyo morning.
Short on time or new to Tokyo? Choose Tsukiji Outer Market. It is closer to Ginza, easy to reach, and a good first stop for first-time visitors who want a sushi breakfast and market streets in one walkable stop.
Chasing the auction and the modern market? Choose Toyosu. Go for the tuna auction from the observation deck, then eat in the seafood halls.
Want the full picture? Do Toyosu first for the early auction, then ride back toward Tsukiji for a late breakfast in the Outer Market.
Visit one of the iconic fish markets in Nagoya with this tour.
