Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Fish Market is dubbed The Tokyo Central Wholesale Market among the local Japanese people. The market is split into two sections, the inner and outer rings. The outer section is a wholesale area consisting of hundreds of small stands in a large, crowded hall, where buyers and sellers hurry along narrow lanes with their carts and trucks. It is an exciting area for tourists to view and photograph the fish and the action. The famous tuna auctions don't occur in the outer market, but the outer market sells kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, fresh produce, seafood, and features a variety of sushi and other restaurants.

The sushi restaurants in Tsukiji are considered to have some of the freshest fish available in all Japan, given the convenient location to fresh produce. In fact, many of these sushi restaurants open early morning when the fish market opens and starts seating customers as early as 5 AM for a delicious sushi breakfast. Although most of the sushi restaurants will not have a long wait time, there are two sushi restaurants at Tsukiji Fish Market that are known for their three-hour wait lines: Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi.

Customers wishing to taste some of the world’s freshest sushi start lining up around 3 AM to be seated at 5am, and usually has an average three hour wait time. If you want a seat at Sushi Dai, be sure to get there in the morning because they’ll close the line as soon as all the spots have been filled! Most customers opt for the Omakase (”trust the chef”) course, offered at around $40 as of August 2018, and leave satisfied, having had one of their favorite meals in Japan. Be sure to bring cash because many of the sushi restaurants at Tsukiji are cash-only.

If you're a fan of cooking or want to surprise a chef back home with an excellent souvenir of Japan's former largest fish market, be sure to stop by the world-famous Tsukiji Masamoto knife shop near the market. Heralded as Japan's premier knife makers, the a Masamoto knife is the trusted choice for Japan's professional cooks, chefs or butchers. Founded in 1845, the best-selling Masamoto family's knives are only available at Tsukiji Fish Market or online. Not all knives are created equal, and the Masamoto Knives are a cut above the rest.

While Tsukiji Fish market has moved from it's location for the Tokyo Olympics to Toyosu Market, you can still enjoy authentic sushi with us during a Cherry Blossom Japan Tour, Anime Tours, or private tour package. Japan Deluxe Tours is more than happy to arrange a sushi experience you won't find anywhere else.