Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Outer Market

Background

Toyosu Market stands on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay in Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo. It opened on 11 October 2018 and on opening became the largest wholesale fish market in the world. Visitors can watch the tuna auction from the second-floor observation deck, and those who register can also watch from a viewing room on the same level behind glass; the market's Uogashi Yokocho has seafood restaurants and shops. Tsukiji Outer Market is in Tsukiji, Chuo Ward, Tokyo, between the Sumida River and Ginza. The original Tsukiji Market closed on 6 October 2018 and its wholesale business moved to Toyosu, while the outer market stayed on the original site and kept trading. It is a mix of wholesale and retail shops selling Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries and seafood, with sushi restaurants in particular abundance. The two are different markets, each with its own history.

Local customs

• Watching the tuna auction at Toyosu early in the morning and eating seafood in Uogashi Yokocho
• eating your way along Tsukiji Outer Market, buying kitchenware and dried goods, and visiting the nearby temples and shrines along the way.

Travel tips

• Toyosu and Tsukiji are two separate places, not close together, so allow travel time if you visit both on the same day
• most Tsukiji Outer Market shops close by early afternoon. Their opening and visiting arrangements differ, so check official announcements before you travel.
• Toyosu Market is reached by the Yurikamome Line to Shijo-mae Station
• Tsukiji Outer Market is reached by the Toei Oedo Line to Tsukijishijo Station or the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line to Tsukiji Station. You can visit all year
• in winter the tuna auction and hotpot ingredients draw the most attention, and in summer an early-morning market walk followed by a seafood breakfast suits the season.