I’ve seen mixed reviews online and on this thread on whether or not the Tsukiji Outer Market or the newer Toyosu fish market are worth visiting, and most posts about this are from 4-6 years ago. Has anyone gone recently, and if so, what was your experience? I don’t plan to try and catch a tuna action; I mostly want to get authentic and delicious street food at a decent price.
Is either one more for locals, or did you see primarily tourists (with higher prices accordingly?) Was the food comparable to other places in Tokyo? Thoughts?
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Toyosu doesn’t have any street food. It has a complex of small restaurants. Food is still good but the building itself is ordinary and business like. However I did notice some more traditional looking structures being built next door. From the billboard, it looks like they want to emulate the old Tsukiji outer market.
Food at the Tsukiji outer market is not a good deal however. It’s fun that you can pick up some bits and pieces of street food here and there, but it’s not a place to go for a bargain. It’s obviously set up for tourists, so just like any other tourist place, you’re going to get tourist prices
Toyosu is foremost a place of work, I find that personally interesting and intriguing but I think most would find it very sanitized and without charm. I don’t think its worth the trouble and I don’t think its particularly amazing value for most. The exception is that its a thing you can do very early in the morning so if you happen to be jetlagged and up at 5am, its something to consider.
I personally found the Tsukiji outer market to be too tourist trappy for my tastes to actually enjoy.
I went 2 days ago to the outer market. SO packed trying to walk through the streets it made it a little more difficult to enjoy. None of the food was anything spectacular and def not on the cheap side. Glad I did it, but I’m not putting it up there in my favorite places so far on my trip.
Walked to Tsukiji outer market 3 days in a row for breakfast. We avoided the crowds by going before 8am. My wife and I enjoyed it.
I was just at Tsukiji 2 days ago, I got there super early at 5:30am since I couldn’t sleep because of jet lag. No crowds, but most of the shops were closed or prepping to open.
Ended up getting a sashimi bowl and the grilled A5 wagyu skewers, both were good.
I won’t lie, it is probably catered more to tourists at this point and priced accordingly.
I went to Tsukiji Outer in early march and its an interesting experience for sure, I stayed next to the subway that got me there in a few stops so it was no big deal. I cant imagine how busy it is now because it really felt like the only busy area minus shibuya when I went. The amount to eat and the variety is enough to warrant a trip but it is a tourist spot, you go there to buy and everyone there wants to sell you something, food was good I am glad I went. People say no locals but there was a spot on the outside of the market that was curry I think, and it had the longest line of all the stalls, all locals and only locals that I could tell.
I went to Tsukiji on April 1st and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We got there around 10:30 AM and it was very crowded, but you can still walk around just fine but at a slower pace. Every stall had line but they move pretty quick.
I will say if you want grilled high quality meat for 2000 yen then there’s a stand that will satisfy your craving. They have different packages of meat that you select and hand it to the man at the grill to cook for you. It’s best to get in that line early as the selections thin out later in the day. We made it to the front of the line around 1 PM and we got one of the last plates available.
Toyosu is worth it if you go early and see the fish auctions from the observation decks or have private tours granting even more exclusive access. You get to be in the throes of it all and it’s very fun.
Tsukiji outer market is nice if you can beat the crowds. Find a few vendors with items that spark your interest and enjoy! Seagen has great tuna and is worth giving a try for a sit down lunch.
Both are worth visiting if you are interested in food, particularly seafood.
Just don’t waste your time on the tamago line
I got to Tsukiji around 8:30-9am a couple weeks ago and it wasn’t too busy. Had some nice street food – scallop skewers, crab croquette, a really good seafood soup. Also got a takeaway kaisendon that was delicious and no wait. Some of the stuff i’d seen on insta was too busy to queue for (like that egg thing). It wasn’t cheap (the small cup of soup was 500 yen but i’d buy it again in a heartbeat), but compared to seafood in Australia, it felt cheap _to me_ so still worth it.
I first went to Tsukiji 10 years ago and found it charming. I was there in December 2022 and again last week and it’s become extremely crowded and entirely touristy. I’m not saying not to go, necessarily, because there are a few good things (tamagoyaki skewers, croquettes/menchikatsu, they’ll start selling the uni buns again in May, and Peppers cafe is the best lunch), but make sure you go around 8 so most things will be open but there won’t be a line. Also, don’t go on a Wednesday because a bunch of things will be closed!
I guess it really depends on why you want to go; there are definitely other places you can go that feel more “authentic” and are better value.
I think it might be easier to navigate if you are a first time visitor since they already expect you to be a tourist. If you are confident in navigating in less familiar space, definitely move beyond Tsukiji.
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Also not to mention the crowd which can get really bad even during non-peak seasons.
Went to Tsukiji last week and loved it! Had some of my fav foods in Tokyo. I would recommend checking it out. We went in morning and it was raining, so it actually was relatively empty and we didnt have to line up much at all so that probably contributed to the experience. Got there just before 8 am (jet lag had us up super early)
Very crowded when we went in late March, and definitely touristy. But still worth going for the atmosphere. I’d skip the restaurants and assemble your own feast from the vendors in the Tsukiji Uogashi building. You can still see some live seafood and fish being cut there, a faint echo of the old market. Nice picnic area on the roof as well.
I found the outer market uninteresting when I visited in 2019. It was like any other Asian food market, and inferior to the better ones in Taiwan.
I went to the Tsukiji Outer Market a week ago and it’s definitely a good experience… Albeit a bit overcrowded(went at 10AM unfortunately) and pricey
We went to both Toyosu and Tsukiji in March/April.
Toyosu felt very sterile and kind sparse, no real character to the buildings and not much to do around there—as someone else posted, Teamlabs is close by so maybe check that out if you go. Toyosu feels a lot like you are going to a business meeting with some fish.
Tsukiji has more charm, has a couple of shrines near by, you can walk through a little park on the way there through a residential area, and enjoy the weather. I suggest going on the early side to avoid big crowds and being punch by the sun in the afternoon. Tsukiji feels a lot like you are going on a stroll in a cute neighborhood with some fish.
Edited to clarify Tsukiji is what I’m referring to. Did not go to Toyosu.
It was crowded but cool. We found a hole in the wall sushi restaurant that was excellent and escaped the crowd for a bit. Also enjoyed some street food.