Toyosu
last update: February 07, 2021
The artificial island of
Toyosu in Tokyo Bay is the new location chosen by the metropolitan government for the city's new large fish, fruit and vegetable wholesale market. The
Toyosu Market replaces the historic market of
Tsukiji after more than 80 years.
the huge area of the new Toyosu Market
Toyosu Market guide
Toyosu's huge market consists of three main buildings: two buildings dedicated to the sale of fish (a
wholesale fish market and a
intermediate wholesale market) and a building as a
wholesale fruit and vegetable market. A network of pedestrian walkways connects all the buildings with each other and also with the nearest station (
Shijo-mae station). Along these walkways there are large windows that allow observation of what is happening in the market.
Unlike the old market of Tsukiji,
entry to the actual market area is forbidden to those who do not work there. Forget about being able to immerse yourself in the world of the largest fish market in the world, wandering and feeling all its smells and noises and observing the shapes and colors of the most exotic fish species. The only way to see what's going on inside the market is to look from a distance, from behind large windows with other tourists, like in a zoo.
Fish wholesale market building
This building houses two large rooms, one where the famous
tuna auctions are held, and another one for all the other auctions.
Visitors can walk along elevated walkways, with large windows that allow to take a look at what is happening below.
You can also recognize the area of the tuna actions by the color of the floor. Unlike the rest of the building, the floor is green, to facilitate inspection of tuna by potential buyers. A limited number of visitors can also access a special observation area located on the lower floor (see next paragraph). There is also a small restaurant area inside this building.
How to best enjoy tuna auctions
Observing the tuna auctions from several tens of meters away, behind thick windows that do not even allow the voices and noises of auctioneers and bidders to pass through, is not a very remarkable experience.
If you want to have a more immersive experience, try to reserve access to the observation area on the lower floor, much closer to the auctions.
Up to 120 people a day are allowed to enter this observation area, divided into three groups of 40 people for 10 minutes each, between 5:45 am and 6:15 am. In order to access the area, you must first
apply online, and if the number of requests exceeds the limit, the people who will have access will be drawn and the results communicated via email. The application form must generally be sent during the month preceding that of the visit.
the observation platform for the tuna auctions on the lower floor on the left, the windows freely accessible on the top right (credits)
the tuna auctions seen from the windows
Fish intermediate wholesale market building
This building houses, on the ground floor, the actual fish market, which only authorized buyers can access. As in the other building, tourists can take a look at what is going on in the fish market from some windows on the upper floor, however the view is rather limited and you don't see much.
In this building there are also several areas specially designed for visitors.
Uogashi Yokocho Market
A commercial area with around 70 shops on the 4th floor of the building. The products on sale range from different food products to utensils and kitchen items, as well as various souvenirs.
Restaurants area
Each of the three buildings has a restaurant area inside, but this is by far the largest, with about twenty restaurants, on the 3rd floor of the building. Many of them are the same that were once in Tsukiji and moved here with the market. The main course is of course raw fish, that is
sushi and
sashimi.
The most famous restaurants are
Sushi Dai (someone in Tsukiji's time used to say tha this is the best sushi in the world),
Iso Sushu,
Iwasa Sushu. Be prepared for long queues to take a seat.
Roof garden
A huge garden on the roof of the building, about 250 meters long and 120 meters wide.
The garden is very minimalist, with large green lawns and bushes. The place offers a truly enchanting view of Tokyo Bay. In the distance you can see the Rainbow Bridge, the skyscrapers of the city, the Tokyo Tower, and if you are lucky, Mount Fuji. You can get to the garden from inside the building, but also from the seaside park (
Toyosu Gururi Park) in front of the building, via an elevator and a suspension bridge. This second entrance is separate from the market building, so you can get to the roof garden even when the market building is closed. The garden is open every day until evening, weekends included.
twilight from the roof garden of Toyosu Market
Fruit and vegetable market building
In this building both auction sale and direct wholesale of fruit and vegetables take place. Visitors can observe what is happening in the market through windows along a corridor on the 2nd floor.
For the record, it must be said that
what you see from these windows is usually not very interesting. In other words, you can also leave the Toyosu market without visiting this building.
There are also some restaurants near the entrance to the building, including
Daiwa sushi, a legendary sushi restaurant originally from Tsukiji market.
Toyosu waterfront
A huge promenade runs along the entire artificial island of Toyosu, the island of (among other things) the new fish market and the LaLaport shopping center. The promenade is often surrounded by parks. In particular, the
Toyosu Gururi Park in front of the Toyosu market, from which you can also take the lift to go up to the roof garden of one of the buildings.
Given its length and its not very central position, you will never find this promenade crowded. This is an incredibly relaxing place during a beautiful sunny morning or sunset.
Also recommended for running or jogging lovers. The total perimeter of the island is about 8 kilometers and you will always run next to the sea without interruptions.
a piece of the Toyosu promenade (Toyosu Gururi Park, credits)
Where to stay to visit Toyosu Market early in the morning
If you want to see the fish market when it's very alive, you must visit it
early in the morning. If you also want to see the tuna auctions, you will necessarily have to go to Toyosu no later than 6 am. For this reason,
it is highly recommended to spend a night near the market the day before your visit.
A hotel is currently under construction within the Toyosu market complex, but to date the closest hotels are located in the
Ariake area, about 1.5 km south. This is the only area from which it is relatively easy to walk to the market (about 20 minutes). In particular, we recommend the two hotels below for their value for money. The first is perfect if you want to save money, the second if you have no budget problems and you want a more spacious room and a more refined environment.
If, on the other hand, you want to consider the idea of taking a taxi in the early hours of the morning, or a long walk (40-50 minutes), we recommend the areas of
Ginza (4 km),
Shiodome (3,5 km), the area of the old market of
Tsukiji (3 km) and
Odaiba (3 km).
This hotel is located a few meters from two stations, respectively along the Yurikamome and the Rinkai line. Toyosu Market is located about 1,7 km from the hotel, you can easily reach it on foot in 20-25 minutes by going straight under the tracks of the Yurikamome elevated railway. In 15 minutes on foot, in another direction, you can also get to the island of Odaiba.
The hotel is housed in a modern skyscraper and belongs to a popular Japanese business hotel chain. The rooms, in particular the economic ones, tend to be very small but equipped with all comforts. If you ask for a room on the upper floors you could also have a nice panoramic view.
The hotel is also located next to the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center. When there are major events, prices tend to be very high. On the contrary, when there is nothing at the exhibition center, you could find really bargain prices, especially during weekdays.
Price range: single rooms 5,000-8,000¥, double rooms 6,000-10,000¥.
This hotel is directly connected to Ariake and Kokusai-Tenjijo stations, respectively along the Yurikamome and the Rinkai line. Toyosu Market is located about 1,4 km from the hotel, you can easily reach it on foot in 15-20 minutes by going straight under the tracks of the Yurikamome elevated railway. In 15 minutes on foot, in another direction, you can also get to the island of Odaiba.
This hotel is also housed in a modern skyscraper and belongs to a renowned business hotel chain. Unlike Washington, the rooms here are definitely more spacious and the interiors of the hotel more elegant. Of course, the prices are also higher on average but many people report having received free room upgrades if available.
Price range: single rooms 8,000-10,000¥, double rooms 10,000-14,000¥.
How to get to the Toyosu Market
The closest station is
Shijo-mae along the
Yurikamome line.
From the station it is very easy to reach the various market buildings. They are all connected by pedestrian walkways and the area is full of signs and maps in English.
Map of Toyosu, Tokyo
Guided tours, activities and other things to do
If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use
Govoyagin.
How to use Govoyagin
Govoyagin is a very useful website to
enrich your travel experience, especially if you are going solo or it's your first time in Japan.
Because of the language barrier (and more), in Japan it is very difficult to interact with the locals and to get off the tourist track.
Thanks to Govoyagin you can find a lot of interesting and sometimes unique
guided tours and activities all over Japan (and not only in Japan), that you would otherwise never be able to enjoy.
But there's more: on Govoyagin you can also
buy tickets for several famous attractions, events, transportation and other useful services for tourists. Last but not least, you can
reserve a table in hundreds of restaurants.
Some examples
Take a look at Govoyagin
You may also be interested in
the huge area of the new Toyosu Market
the observation platform for the tuna auctions on the lower floor on the left, the windows freely accessible on the top right (credits)
the tuna auctions seen from the windows
twilight from the roof garden of Toyosu Market
a piece of the Toyosu promenade (Toyosu Gururi Park, credits)
This hotel is located a few meters from two stations, respectively along the Yurikamome and the Rinkai line. Toyosu Market is located about 1,7 km from the hotel, you can easily reach it on foot in 20-25 minutes by going straight under the tracks of the Yurikamome elevated railway. In 15 minutes on foot, in another direction, you can also get to the island of Odaiba.
This hotel is directly connected to Ariake and Kokusai-Tenjijo stations, respectively along the Yurikamome and the Rinkai line. Toyosu Market is located about 1,4 km from the hotel, you can easily reach it on foot in 15-20 minutes by going straight under the tracks of the Yurikamome elevated railway. In 15 minutes on foot, in another direction, you can also get to the island of Odaiba.
