Best Toyosu & Tsukiji Fish Market Tours in Tokyo

Tokyo’s seafood markets are fascinating places to explore, especially if you’re interested in sushi and Japanese food culture.

Toyosu Market is Tokyo’s major wholesale market and home to the famous tuna auction, while Tsukiji Outer Market is packed with seafood shops, restaurants, street food, and specialty stores.

You can visit both independently, but a guided tour can help you understand what you’re seeing and discover places you might otherwise walk straight past.

Here are some of the best ways to experience Toyosu and Tsukiji.

Toyosu & Tsukiji Market Tour

Best for: Experiencing both of Tokyo’s famous fish markets

If you want a more complete introduction to Tokyo’s seafood culture, look for a tour that combines Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Outer Market.

Toyosu gives you a glimpse into the professional side of Tokyo’s seafood industry, while Tsukiji has a completely different atmosphere with small shops, restaurants, food stalls, and busy market streets.

Visiting both makes it easier to understand how Tokyo’s famous fish market evolved after the wholesale market moved from Tsukiji to Toyosu.

Depending on the tour, you may also stop for sushi, seafood, or other Japanese specialties along the way.

Check current availability and book now!

Toyosu Market & Sushi Experience

Best for: Sushi lovers

Some tours combine a visit to Toyosu Market with a sushi experience.

After learning about the seafood sold at the market, you may enjoy sushi made with fresh ingredients or take part in a hands-on sushi-making class.

It’s a fun way to connect what you see at the market with one of Japan’s most famous foods.

These experiences tend to be longer than a simple market tour, so they’re a good choice if you want to dedicate half a day to Tokyo’s seafood culture.

Check current availability and book now!

Tsukiji Outer Market Food Tour

Best for: Street food and a lively market atmosphere

Although the wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, Tsukiji Outer Market is still very much worth visiting.

The narrow streets are filled with seafood shops, sushi restaurants, tamagoyaki stands, Japanese sweets, dried foods, kitchenware, and other specialty stores.

A guided food tour lets you sample different foods while learning about the market and the ingredients you see along the way.

It’s also much easier to fit into a normal sightseeing day than an early-morning Toyosu tuna auction tour.

Check current availability and book now!

Tsukiji Market & Sushi-Making Experience

Best for: Travelers who want a hands-on food experience

Another option is to combine exploring Tsukiji with a sushi-making class.

You’ll walk through Tsukiji Outer Market with a guide, discover specialty shops and Japanese ingredients, and then learn how to make sushi yourself.

This gives you more than just a market visit—you’ll also get a hands-on introduction to one of Japan’s best-known foods.

And, of course, you get to eat the sushi you’ve made.

Check current availability and book now!

Visiting Toyosu Market

Toyosu is very different from the old Tsukiji wholesale market.

Much of the professional market activity takes place in areas that visitors cannot freely enter, with designated observation areas allowing tourists to watch some of the activity without interfering with the businesses operating below.

If seeing the tuna auction is your main reason for visiting, check the latest schedule and viewing arrangements before you go.

Tours involving the auction also start very early in the morning, so check the meeting time carefully before booking.

Visiting Tsukiji Outer Market

Tsukiji is much easier to explore casually.

You can walk through the market, browse the shops, eat sushi, try street food, and visit nearby attractions without joining a tour.

However, a guided tour can be worthwhile if you want to learn more about Japanese ingredients and food culture rather than simply walking around and eating.

Want to See Just the Toyosu Tuna Auction?

If you only want to see the famous tuna auction, you do not need to book a tour.

Visitors can watch the auction for free from the second-floor Visitor’s Walkway at Toyosu Market. No advance reservation is required for this viewing area.

Tuna auction time: Around 5:30 a.m. – 6:30 a.m.
Location: Toyosu Market
Address: 6-6-1 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo
Nearest station: Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome Line
Admission: Free

For a closer view, there is also a special Tuna Auction Observation Deck. Access to this area requires advance application and is decided by lottery.

Keep in mind that the market is closed on certain Sundays, public holidays, and designated market holidays, so check the official Toyosu Market calendar before visiting.

LOCAL TIP

Toyosu and Tsukiji offer completely different experiences, so don’t think of one as a replacement for the other.

Go to Toyosu to see the modern wholesale market and tuna auction. Go to Tsukiji for its lively streets, food stalls, shops, and restaurants.

If you’re seriously interested in Japanese food culture, a tour that visits both Toyosu and Tsukiji is one of the best ways to experience the contrast.