Is the Tsukiji fish market still open, and how do you see the tuna auction at Toyosu?

Tsukiji or Toyosu: which one do you want?

Most people searching for the Tsukiji fish market want one of two things: a seafood breakfast in old market lanes, or the tuna auction. They are now in different places, about 2 km apart across the water.

Tsukiji Outer Market: hours, closed days and rules

The outer market's official site gives shopping hours of 9:00 to 14:00 and says many shops close on Sundays and some Wednesdays. Its calendar follows the wholesale market's, but each shop sets its own days, so a few open when the market is shut. Plan for the morning: by early afternoon stalls are packing up.

The market's own visitor rules:

• Leave suitcases, large bags and strollers behind. The lanes are narrow and crowded, and suitcase lockers are limited (open 6:00 to 16:00).

• Wear closed shoes. Floors are wet and slippery; the market says sandals and heels are not suitable.

• Bring cash. Card acceptance varies by shop, most take only yen, and there is no currency exchange inside.

• No smoking on the street (a Chuo City rule) outside designated areas.

• Tsukiji Uogashi, the professional-buyer building, is open to everyone after 9:00; before that you need advance permission.

• No bargaining. Seating is limited, so at busy times you are expected to eat at the pace of the locals around you, and sharing one dish between several people is frowned upon.

Getting there: the market lists Tsukiji Station (Hibiya line) and Tsukijishijo Station (Oedo line), each about 1 minute's walk, and Higashi-ginza (Hibiya and Asakusa lines) about 3 minutes. It is also an easy walk from Ginza.

What to eat at the Tsukiji Outer Market

• Sushi and kaisendon (raw fish over rice) at small counters. Queues at the best-known places form early; a second-choice counter with no line is usually just as fresh.

• Tamagoyaki, the sweet rolled omelette, sold by the slice or on a stick.

• Grilled seafood on skewers: scallops, eel, prawns.

• Fresh oysters and sea urchin in season, often at standing stalls.

• Kitchen knives, tea and dried goods to take home, including bonito flakes and kombu.

Our what to eat in Tokyo guide covers Edomae sushi and where else to find it.

Toyosu tuna auction: the free walkway and the lottery deck

There are two ways to watch, both free:

• Second-floor visitor walkway. No booking and no limit on numbers, according to the market FAQ. It opens from 5:00 on market days. You look down through windows at the tuna floor in the fish wholesale building (Block 7).

• Lower observation deck tour, by lottery. Closer to the floor, still behind glass. Each tour runs from 5:45 to 6:25, meeting at 5:30 at the Promotional Corner on the 3rd floor of the Block 7 administration building. 100 people a day are chosen by lottery, in groups of up to 5, and the representative must be of junior high school age or over. Babies count as participants. Everyone needs photo ID such as a passport on the day.

How the lottery works: apply online at the market's lottery site during a one-week entry window in the month before your visit, choosing up to three dates. For August 2026 tours, entries ran 1 to 7 July with results on 16 July; for September, 5 to 12 August with results on 20 August. Only winners are emailed. As of 11 November 2026, entries for December 2026 tours had closed, with results due by email on 19 November; check the site for the January 2027 window. The FAQ says no tour applications are accepted for 25 December to 5 January, and there is no second round or same-day waiting list.

If you don't win, the walkway still shows you the auction. Go early: the lottery tour's 5:45 to 6:25 slot is a fair guide to when the auction floor is busiest.

Toyosu Market hours, restaurants and getting there

Tokyo Metropolitan Government's visitor page gives Toyosu's hours as 5:00 to 17:00, closed on Sundays, public holidays and other market holidays. Restaurants and shops inside set their own hours; most sushi counters open early in the morning and close in the early afternoon, so treat Toyosu as a breakfast or early-lunch stop.

The restaurants are spread across the market's buildings, and the best-known sushi counters often have queues before 7:00. Next to the market, Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai, an Edo-themed food hall and hot-spring complex that opened in February 2024, keeps later hours; check its own site for times.

Getting there: the market is right by Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, about 5 minutes on foot along a covered deck to the 3rd floor of the administration building. Shijo-mae is two stops from Toyosu Station, where the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line also stops. Toei buses run to the Shijo-mae Ekimae stop. There is no public parking or bicycle parking. A Suica or Pasmo card covers all of these; see our IC card guide.

Combine it: teamLab Planets is in Toyosu too, so an early auction, sushi breakfast and a morning teamLab slot make one trip. See teamLab Planets vs Borderless.

Closed days, November 2026 to January 2027

These are the seafood market holidays from the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market calendars. Toyosu is closed on these days; the Tsukiji Outer Market follows the same calendar, though individual shops may differ.

The pattern: every Sunday, every public holiday, and most but not all Wednesdays. The last market days of 2026 are 28 to 30 December, traditionally when Tokyo shoppers buy food for New Year, so expect crowds at Tsukiji. The first market day of 2027 is Tuesday 5 January, the day of the first tuna auction of the year.

Frequently asked questions