Opened in 2018, Toyosu Market has become an essential Tokyo travel destination. As the successor to the world-famous Tsukiji Market, it has evolved with even more attractions, offering gourmet dining, sightseeing, and market experience tours. This comprehensive guide introduces travelers to the latest ways to enjoy Toyosu Market.
What is Toyosu Market?
Tsukiji Market, once world-renowned as Tokyo's kitchen, supported the city's food culture for over 80 years since opening in 1935. Due to aging infrastructure and sanitation concerns, its demolition was decided, and after many years, "Toyosu Market" was born as its successor.
The relocation process faced challenges including soil contamination issues, taking 14 years to complete. Despite these obstacles, the completed Toyosu Market is Tokyo's central market equipped with state-of-the-art facilities designed for the next 50+ years, ensuring food safety, efficient logistics, and fresh ingredient supply.
The main feature is the modern closed facility with thorough temperature control. It protects fish and vegetables from wind, rain, and high temperatures, maintaining optimal freshness. Additionally, the market interior is designed with efficient logistics flow, enabling smoother and more efficient trading.
Toyosu Market is divided into four main areas:
- Administrative Building: Housing Tokyo Metropolitan Government and business offices, PR rooms
- Produce Building: Trading venue for vegetables and fruits from across Japan and overseas
- Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building: Market where sushi restaurants and dining establishments purchase fish
- Seafood Wholesale Building: Handling seafood from domestic and international sources, featuring the famous tuna auction viewing
These buildings are connected by walkways, allowing visitors to freely move between them.
Enjoy Popular Tsukiji Gourmet
Toyosu Market houses many long-established restaurants that once captivated professional chefs at Tsukiji Market, allowing visitors to enjoy traditional flavors exactly as they were.
Don't worry if you think "maybe only professionals can enter the market." Toyosu Market's dining areas are freely accessible to general travelers, featuring 13 sushi restaurants plus a wide variety including Japanese, Western, Chinese, tonkatsu, unagi (eel), and coffee shops. You can casually enjoy fresh sushi and dishes beloved since the Tsukiji era - a unique attraction here.
The market also features "Uogashi Yokocho," a professional shopping area with everything from essential Japanese cooking ingredients like seasonings, kelp, and wasabi, to knives, cooking utensils, and even boots. While primarily serving businesses, general customers can enter and enjoy shopping for items like tamagoyaki, meat, and pharmacy goods. It's also recommended to buy "professional-grade" products as souvenirs while sightseeing.
Introducing Relocated Restaurants from Tsukiji Market
Block 6 - Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building, 3rd Floor
This is the largest dining area in Toyosu Market, where many restaurants are concentrated. Many popular shops from inside Tsukiji Market have established themselves here, notably including "Sushi Dai," which gained worldwide popularity as one of Japan's representative sushi restaurants. The morning queues forming in front of Sushi Dai were a signature sight of Tsukiji, and you can witness the same scene at Toyosu.
Block 7 - Seafood Wholesale Management Building, 3rd Floor
This is the second-largest dining area in Toyosu Market. Featuring 6 sushi restaurants and a diverse lineup from Chinese to coffee shops. "Kimuraya Coffee and Sandwich," known for its distinctive exterior during the Tsukiji era, has been reborn with clean interiors and new charm.
Block 5 - Produce Building, 1st Floor
This is the smallest dining area in Toyosu Market, operating only 3 restaurants. Unlike the other two indoor dining areas, this one is outdoors and easily accessible from the station - a hidden gem.
Particularly noteworthy is "Daiwa Sushi," a renowned restaurant that rivals the previously mentioned "Sushi Dai." The authentic sushi using fresh ingredients only available at Toyosu is naturally exquisite. Counter seating allows you to hear explanations about each piece of fish, ensuring international visitors will be thoroughly satisfied.
Shopping at Toyosu Market's Professional Shops - Uogashi Yokocho (Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building, 4th Floor)
Toyosu Market's attraction isn't limited to gourmet dining. Within the market is "Uogashi Yokocho," an area where professional chefs and restaurants come to purchase supplies.
About 70 shops, including long-established stores inherited from Tsukiji Market and new establishments, line this area handling everything from food to cooking utensils. The sight of "professional-grade" products all in one place is spectacular - from ingredients like dried goods, bonito flakes, pickles, and tamagoyaki to knives, pottery, boots, and cooking attire.
Throughout the alley, you can see market workers transporting goods via small vehicles (turret trucks) and bicycles, allowing tourists to experience the authentic market atmosphere.
General customers can also shop here, and buying market-exclusive items not easily found in supermarkets as souvenirs is highly recommended. Being able to see and purchase products selected by professional buyers up close is a valuable experience unique to Toyosu Market.
Exhibition Corners to Make You Love Toyosu Even More
Throughout market sightseeing, exhibition corners appear in each building to keep visitors engaged. These displays help you learn about and appreciate Toyosu Market, which still has many unknowns. Taking time to read and experience these exhibits is one of the enjoyable ways to explore Toyosu Market.
PR Corner (Administrative Building)
The PR Corner in the Administrative Building is the first place to visit to grasp Toyosu Market's overall picture. Brochures are available, and Toyosu Market's characteristics and highlights of each building are clearly displayed on exhibition panels. You can learn basic information and history about Toyosu Market, quickly developing familiarity with it.
Here you can also meet "Icchino," Tokyo's official market mascot character, and take commemorative photos with a giant tuna model. Children will surely be delighted by the impressive model, creating memorable moments for family trips.
Seafood Wholesale Building Viewing Gallery
Proceeding from the Administrative Building through connecting passages brings you to the Seafood Wholesale Building Viewing Gallery. Here, a full-size bluefin tuna model - the largest ever traded at the former Tsukiji Market - greets you. Mainly families with children enjoy free commemorative photos here.
This impressive model is sure to become Toyosu Market's representative photo spot with its social media-worthy impact. Surrounding the giant bluefin tuna are panels about major seafood gathered at Toyosu Market and types of tuna arriving at the market.
Tuna Auction Viewing Deck (Seafood Wholesale Building)
Further into the viewing gallery, you reach the corridor where you can observe the main attraction of the Seafood Wholesale Building - the "tuna auction." Looking down through windows reveals the tuna auction floor. The corridor walls also feature monochrome photographs explaining past market history and scenes, which you can view alongside the auction. Take time to examine the wall displays, as they contain many fascinating photos including wild, energetic shots of the old market.
Explanation panels about the complex "Teyari" unfamiliar to general public are also installed for visitors. You can enjoy watching while thinking about what kind of trading is happening, making it accessible even for beginners.
While tuna auctions are normally viewed from this corridor, "deck viewing" is also offered by reservation for those wanting a more immersive auction experience.
The viewing deck has an open glass top, allowing fish aromas to drift up to the deck. Auction voices are also clearly audible, providing full atmosphere! Tour staff accompany you, so you can ask questions if you have any.
Tuna Auction Viewing Advance Lottery: Viewing requires advance application and lottery system (not first-come, first-served). For details: https://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/info/0/kenngaku/kenngaku2
Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building
With your back to the Yurikamome "Shijomae Station" ticket gate, the building on the right is the Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building. While this building has several entrances, the entrance at the far end provides access to "Uogashi Yokocho" and the "intermediate wholesale market."
The corridor leading to "Uogashi Yokocho" features various displays to keep visitors engaged. For example, panels introducing seasonal fish for spring, summer, fall, and winter. These don't just introduce fish but also describe how to cook them deliciously. You might want to check seasonal fish and recommended cooking methods here before buying fish at the market, or use purchased fish cooking recommendations as reference.
There's also an exhibit of turret trucks (commonly called "tare") frequently used for transport in the market. The display area walls feature illustrations of market workers, allowing you to feel the market atmosphere. You can sit on the turret truck for commemorative photos, so try becoming a market worker for your tourist memories.
Produce Building Viewing Gallery
The Produce Building is also open for viewing. The Produce Building viewing gallery has 12 windows, each color-coded for seasonal vegetables and fruits from January through December - colorful and cute. January features crown daisy (green), February features canola flowers (yellow), March features peas (yellow-green), April features strawberries (red)... The interior allows you to experience each month's seasonal offerings with a museum-like atmosphere. Benches are available for a relaxing visit.
From the "Visitor Deck" at the back of the viewing gallery, you can overlook the wholesale area where produce auctions take place. Panels here provide knowledge about produce trading at Toyosu Market, including regional breakdown of produce gathered at Toyosu and work schedules of market employees, helping you learn about the new Toyosu.
Although our visit was late morning and auctions had ended, we could still observe scenes of people working in the wholesale area. The sight of turret trucks loaded with vegetable cardboard boxes traveling through the passages was exactly like the market I had imagined - truly exciting.
Relax with Spacious Greenery and Stunning Views
The rooftop lawn of Toyosu Market and the peaceful waterfront park surrounding the market are likely to become recommended hidden spots for couples.
Rooftop Green Space
The rooftop of the Seafood Intermediate Wholesale Building has been turned into a green space. Very spacious, it's perfect as a rest spot when you're tired from touring the market. You can see building clusters in the waterfront area including Harumi/Kachidoki and Shiba Daimon/Roppongi directions - a very pleasant space.
It's also an excellent spot for watching sunsets. As it gets darker, Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge become illuminated, quickly transforming into beautiful night views. The scenery from this slightly elevated rooftop appears more beautiful than viewing from ground level.
Toyosu Gururi Park
"Toyosu Gururi Park" is a park that surrounds Toyosu Market. With extensive paved paths, it's perfect for jogging and walking. Covered benches and children's playground equipment are scattered throughout, making it recommended for picnics and dates.
It's also connected to the rooftop green space via elevator, so you can enjoy them together.
Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai Opens Right Next to Toyosu Market!
In 2024, a new tourist destination "Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai" opened in the area adjacent to Toyosu Market. This complex facility features dining streets serving gourmet food using fresh seafood direct from the market, Edomae sushi, and seafood bowls, along with shops selling Tokyo souvenirs and traditional crafts, plus natural hot spring baths and foot baths.
After enjoying market tours and food walks, stopping by here allows you to experience dining, shopping, and relaxation all at once. Operating year-round, it can be enjoyed even on market closure days - a major attraction. For travelers visiting Tokyo, this is an unmissable new spot to visit together with Toyosu Market.
Recommended Tourism Combined with Toyosu Market
teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM
One station from "Shijo-mae" where Toyosu Market is located, and about a 7-minute walk away, is "teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM Toyosu." This is a "museum you enter the water" featuring seven works centered around four massive artwork spaces by art collective teamLab. Since opening in July 2018, it has welcomed over 1.25 million visitors from 106 countries and regions worldwide in one year, making it a trending spot.
WILD MAGIC
WILD MAGIC is located just a short walk from Shin-Toyosu Station and about a 10-minute walk from Toyosu Market.
"WILD MAGIC," a stylish urban outdoor park that opened in spring 2017, is a popular spot where you can enjoy outdoor fun in the heart of the city.
With keywords including FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITY, LOVE, NATURE, URBAN, and CULTURE, various areas spread out under the concept of "FARM" - a place where diverse experiences are cultivated. The charm is that you can enjoy hands-free BBQ anywhere in these areas. Various plans from standard to all-you-can-drink are available.
Different tipi tents are arranged in the luxurious "VILLAGE AREA," the "FIRE PIT AREA" has a fire pit in the center for a camping atmosphere, the "FAMILY AREA" has hammocks at each site, and the "SEASIDE AREA" faces Tokyo Bay directly. There are also areas accommodating groups to small numbers.
Gas Science Museum
Gas Science Museum is located 5 minutes on foot from Toyosu Station and about 10 minutes on foot from Toyosu Market.
This popular spot allows you to learn about the characteristics of "gas," an essential energy for daily life, and its relationship with the global environment through hands-on exhibits and programs.
It opened in 1986 as part of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.'s 100th anniversary project and moved to its current location in 2006. Upon entering, a hot air balloon greets you, and as you proceed inside, you'll find the Flame Wonder Gallery and Quiz Hall. Energy Studio hosts science shows featuring experiments and demonstrations about energy and the environment.
On the second floor, Kitchen Kitchen holds "Science Kitchen" cooking classes on Sundays and holidays, scientifically exploring the mysterious relationship between food and cooking. The rooftop plaza is a lawn area with a large arc, allowing you to experience Earth's roundness and nature.
Admission is free, so families visiting Toyosu Market will find this recommended as children can play freely.
KidZania Tokyo
KidZania Tokyo is located 10 minutes on foot from Toyosu Station and about 25 minutes by train from Toyosu Market.
This is "a town where children are the main characters," popular with families, where children aged 3-15 can learn about society's mechanisms while having fun.
You can experience about 100 types of services and jobs! Using authentic tools and equipment, you can experience various services and jobs just like adults. In this approximately 2/3 scale town, about 60 pavilions including police stations and banks exist, with ambulances and fire trucks running - truly like a real town.
Children can choose their favorite pavilion to experience and receive "KidZo" salary after work. This KidZo can be used for shopping and receiving services. Children can choose occupations, work to earn wages, and use that salary (KidZo) themselves - surely exciting for kids!
Parents cannot experience activities with children but can observe through glass or monitors. A parents-only lounge is also available for relaxing while waiting.
Access Information
By Train
- Yurikamome "Shijo-mae" Station: 3 minutes on foot
By Bus
- Toei Bus "Shin-Toyosu Ekimae": 4 minutes on foot
- Toei Bus "Shijo-mae": 2 minutes on foot
For details: https://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/info/0/access
About Operating Days
Toyosu Market has "closure days" when the market is closed. Be sure to check "closure days" before visiting Toyosu Market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Toyosu Market's general visiting hours?
Toyosu Market's general visiting hours are as follows:
- Toyosu Market PR Corner: 8:30-14:30 (Saturdays until 11:30)
- Visitor corridors (including dining and shopping areas): 5:00-15:00
Do I need reservations for visits?
Not particularly necessary. However, please note that tuna auction viewing requires advance application and lottery system.
Basic Information
Toyosu Market
Operating Hours: Weekdays 5:00-17:00 *Varies by store
Closed: Sundays/Holidays/Wednesdays by calendar
For details, please check the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market Calendar
Tuna Auction Viewing Advance Lottery: Viewing requires advance application and lottery system (not first-come, first-served). For details: https://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/toyosu/kenngaku/
Address: 6-3-1 Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5320-5720
Parking: None
Contact:
- Administration Department: 03-5320-5720
- For details: https://www.toyosu-market.or.jp/
