I’ve seen several posts and videos about how a visit is just not worth it. Right now it’s my first stop on day 1 and I’m considering cutting it altogether and going to toyosu for tuna instead. I’ll be going to Kyoto later and plan to visit nishiki market, which I have heard is worth it. I also have loose plans to visit Ueno Ameyoko, how would you say it compares?
For those of you who went fairly recently, did you find it overrated? How was the food quality?
by rosestrathmore
23 comments
To be honest, yes Tsukiji be be a little pit overpriced sure. But if you think that way, on the same page, so is Kyotos Nikishi market. Which isn’t more than a gloryfied and tight and expensive Shotengai (shopping street with a roof above). Most bigger cities have at least one of those. Most of them less cramped and less expensive as well
Keep. I really enjoyed it, just for the vibes if not the food (which is good but yeah a little overpriced). I enjoyed Nishiki as well.
Tsukiji, Nishiki, Kuromon etc. are basically all the same purpose which is somewhat overpriced tourist-oriented markets (setting aside the history). Is it inedible no, could you find cheaper elsewhere yes but they may not be as concentrated in the same place.
If you enjoy visiting places like Fanueil Hall, Pike Place Market, Chelsea Market, Borough Market etc. then you’ll like these, if you think those places are tourist traps then you’ll think the same here.
I think I enjoyed Nishiki Market more than Tsukiji Markt especially due to the area that Nishiki Market is in. Honestly, Tsukiji Market is barely a thought in my mind when I remember all the things that stood out about my first trip. Certainly not among the top things I ate in Japan either. I got their early but it gets busy fast and I’m definitely not going to be bothering with it when I go in October
We went on our first day in July. We were jetlagged and up early. It was the perfect place to go early in the morning before it gets hot. Lots of great options.
I wouldn’t say it’s a must do but it’s lots of fun if you like street food and seafood.
Keep. Must go for first timers imo
I went to both tsukji and toyusu markets. They are very different from each other, the food was expensive but excellent at both (over 3000) but the quality was excellent. Toyusu is curated and propose built. Tsukji is not. For atmosphere I preferred tsukji, but I enjoyed watching the tuna auction at toyusu – you really saw an overview of a slice of life in Tokyo. In my opinion though, if you are just looking for food and shopping, tsukji is the better choice.
All those markets are just tourist fodder. Sure you can’t really go wrong with a feed at any of them. But the customer is paying for the higher rents they will be paying for then.
You are paying for the name, the thing that rose them to fame in the West, doesn’t really exist in them anymore.
Go for the atmosphere but find a feed a block or so away from them.
Tsukij was worth it when it was the ACTUAL fish market. They’ve moved the main operations and only the expansive outer market still exist. I’ve not been to the new main fish market but what I know the main sale floor’s no longer open to tourists, but they have a viewing gallery for their famous tuna auction. (you gotta get there at the crack of dawn though, and reserve a place I believe?).
Ueno is a fun place to visit so you can totally do the museums there while also visiting Ameyokocho in the same day. There’s some inexpensive seafood breakfast option there if you go before the museums open, and then come back after your visits as the sun sets and it lights up.
We visited Tsukiji and Ameyoko in july 2019. Tsukuji is a pretty cool street food market nowadays and I’m happy we went. Not sure I’ll revisit though. Ameyoko was neat also. Less street food than at Tsukiji and more “market” with street food, ingretients and some other things.
You could check the neighborhoods near Tsukiji. Research restaurants on Google Maps finding what might fit you. You can find good quality for a lot less and may have to know more Japanese being outside the tourist hotspot.
Keep. It’s a classic destination and worth going to have been. Go AM and eat whatever you want, it’s plenty cheap and super fresh.
Also Sushizanmai has lots of locations in and around the market, really good spot for low prices
We really liked to go there for breakfast and got a Cup of tea to our sushi bowl 🤤 search for a box where you can take a seat
Was excited going there my first visit and if you’re in Tokyo I think it’s still worth checking out but there are places to get food much cheaper. Toyosu is a bit far from everything and harder to get to.
I personally enjoyed visiting it. I was not too keen on the idea either but was happy I ended up visiting it. It feels like you are not in modern Tokyo anymore. It is great for people watching, all the sensory experience and it has a history too. %100 recommend. You watch shop keepers doing their things and it is interesting enough. I guess it could be close to Nishiki market but I think everywhere has a different vibe really, Tsukiji market is open air and a bit irregular.
The food? Get the Taiyaki (red bean) the old lady sells, it is so warm and lovely. I had zero expectations when I tried the grilled tuna but let me tell you, it was one of the best, or maybe -THE BEST- thing I ate in Japan. It is so simple, it is crazy. If you move further, you will see better prices. It was a bit overpriced in general but not too much unless you are one of the tourists willing to pay gold and stand in line for wagyu. It beats me why people line up for wagyu at a fish market.
Also lots of shops for tea.
I would say skip. It felt extremely touristy and it was so crowded!
Keep Tsukiji. You don’t have to do early in the day to get decent food. I didn’t find it to be anything like Chelsea Market. Ate there 5-6 times my last visit.
I found it a waste of time. Packed with people and over priced food.
If you’re going to visit Hama-Rikyu or Honwanji, I’d at least pop by for a bite. It’s a tourist trap, pretty much all the famous ones are, though the quality is rarely bad. I just wouldn’t go out of your way to go a specific market if you’re not visiting anything else nearby unless you really, really want to visit a specific one for some other reason.
I like stopping by before/after Hama-Rikyu, but I really like Hama-Rikyu.
If you’re going to experience an actual market atmosphere, I would skip it, as it isn’t an actual market any more. If you’re going to experience an effectively curated, crowded ‘market’ area with bustle, it might be fine. If you’re going to eat, skip it, unless you don’t mind spending triple what you would elsewhere.
For me, Ameyoko has a more marketish feel.
i went with my family, we searched and searched for this hidden fish burger place, found it then got ridiculed by the locals who tried to stop us buying it because it “wasn’t for tourists”
I would look at this from the perspective of your itinerary. If you are based near Ginza or committing the majority of a day to go about the Ginza-Nihonbashi-Hamarikyu area, then visiting Tsukiji or Toyosu Market should be ok. It is a bit out of the way location-wise, with respect to other sightseeing places. So if you are short on time just focus on visiting the other major Tokyo attractions and add it to the list on your next Tokyo trip. You are not missing out on anything if you skip it, especially if you are planning to visit Nishiki Market anyway.
It depends on when you go and if you are ok in crowds. It is a bunch of tourist shops. There are good places to eat but you need a local phone to make reservations at many places. I have taken my guests there but we were in the area for other stuff. They were not that excited by it except for visiting the side fish market and seeing the huge Tuna.