Tsukiji Fish Markets
If you’re looking for a breakfast or lunch that is undeniably Japanese, then a visit to Tsukiji Fish Markets is sure to satisfy.
Tsukiji is unsurprisingly a great place to find excellent sushi (with rice) and sashimi (just raw fish) restaurants. A sure way to identify the more popular establishments is to look for the longest queues, which traditionally involve waits of up to an hour or more (often outside, on the street) before being seated. On our most recent visit to Tsukiji, with a hungry 6 year old in tow, we settled on the medium-length queue outside Isonoya early one Saturday morning (about 30 minutes). We were provided with refreshing tea while we waited and were rewarded greatly for our patience with delightful sushi and sashimi at a reasonable price. While Isonoya and some other restaurants have since closed or relocated (see below), there are still many to choose from.
Enjoy your meal as it is prepared in front of you, but don’t be tempted to linger – it is a cultural faux pas to eat slowly in a busy restaurant while people are waiting to take your seat.
After your meal, wander around the markets. There are many things to buy or be amazed by, not just seafood. You’ll be amazed by the range of produce and pickles, snacks and sweets, clothing, crockery and cooking utensils.
Until 2018, the markets at Tsukiji were separated into outer and inner markets, the inner markets hosting wholesale stalls and Tokyo’s famous tuna auctions. In October 2018, the auctions and wholesale markets moved to the new Toyosu Market, which still has a lot to offer a tourist, but perhaps without the fabulous historic atmosphere. Some of the more popular restaurants, such as Daiwa Sushi, have relocated to the new market along with many other retailers.
On our most recent visit, which was prior to the 2018 move, we found ourselves constantly jumping out of the way of fast moving turret trucks (something like a tiny forkless fork lift with a tray on the back) that seemed to come and go in every direction. While they reminded us that we were in Tokyo’s main working fish markets, they also left us feeling a little alarmed. This potential hazard may have been mitigated since the move.
Best access: Subway Tsukiji-Shikjo Station, Oedo Line (dark pink) (exits A1 & A2)
Best times and days: 5am – 2pm (closed Sundays, public holidays and some closures on Wednesdays)
Cost: Free entry
