Toyosu Market is Tokyo’s wholesale seafood hub and the site of the world’s most famous tuna auction. Seeing the auction requires advance registration, but the market’s sushi restaurants and observation decks are accessible to all visitors. Here is the complete guide.
Toyosu Market opened in October 2018, replacing the inner Tsukiji Market wholesale operations. The new facility on a reclaimed island in Tokyo Bay handles approximately 480 tonnes of seafood daily and serves as the logistical center for Japanese wholesale seafood distribution. For visitors, the tuna auction viewing experience (with advance registration) and the Seafood Restaurant Zone (open without reservation) are the primary attractions.
Getting to Toyosu Market
Toyosu Market is accessible from Shijomae Station on the Yurikamome Line (a driverless elevated monorail running from Shimbashi through Odaiba to Toyosu). From Shimbashi, the journey to Shijomae Station takes about 13 minutes.
- From Shimbashi: Yurikamome Line to Shijomae Station, about 13 minutes, 390 yen. The Yurikamome is also scenic, running elevated over Tokyo Bay.
- From Toyosu Station: The Yurikamome also stops at Toyosu Station (on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line). From Toyosu Station, the market is a short shuttle bus or a 10-minute walk.
The Tuna Auction: How to Apply
The tuna auction (マグロのせり見学) takes place from 5:30 am to 6:30 am every morning except Sundays and market holidays. The wholesale auction is one of the world’s most dramatic commercial spectacles: hundreds of frozen bluefin tuna lined up in rows, wholesale buyers in rubber boots examining each fish with flashlights, and then the rapid-fire bidding.
Visitor spots are limited (about 120 per day) and are allocated via an online lottery on the Toyosu Market official website (shijou.metro.tokyo.jp). Applications must be submitted months in advance. The lottery is held once or twice per year for subsequent 3-month periods. Successful applicants receive confirmation by email and must arrive at the market by 5:15 am.
If you miss the lottery application period, check the website for cancellation spots, which occasionally become available. The lottery is the only official channel.
Seafood Restaurant Zone: No Reservation Needed
The Seafood Restaurant Zone in Toyosu Market’s Building 6 is open to the public from approximately 9 am to 3 pm (closed Sundays and market holidays). Multiple sushi restaurants and seafood dining options operate here, drawing wholesale buyers and food-focused visitors for the best-value sushi in Tokyo.
The restaurant zone draws from the wholesale seafood going through the market that day. Tuna sashimi plates start from around 1,500 yen. A full sushi set (8 to 12 pieces) at the market restaurants runs 2,000 to 4,000 yen. Quality is excellent because the restaurants have direct access to the day’s wholesale supply. Arrive before 10 am for the shortest waits.
Observation Decks
Toyosu Market has two free observation decks allowing visitors to look down on the wholesale market floor without entering the working areas. Observation Deck East (in Building 7) overlooks the tuna handling and processing area. Observation Deck West (in Building 6) overlooks the fresh fish section. Both are free and accessible during market visiting hours (5:00 am to 5:00 pm on market days).
Practical Notes
Suica card: Covers all JR, Metro, and private rail. Load at the airport before boarding. See the Suica guide.
Google Maps: Works accurately for transit routing and walking navigation in Japan.
Toyosu Tuna Auction and Tokyo Bay
Toyosu’s tuna auction is one of Japan’s most famous food experiences. The New Year auction draws the closest attention, with record prices that are partly ceremonial but still reflect the premium placed on top bluefin tuna.
For most visitors, the appeal is the atmosphere: buyers inspecting frozen tuna with flashlights, the fast auction calls, and the scale of the cold warehouse. It is a rare chance to watch Japan’s seafood trade in action.
Toyosu also pairs well with Tokyo Bay sightseeing. From Shijomae Station, the Yurikamome line connects easily to Odaiba, where visitors can continue to waterfront views, entertainment areas, and digital art attractions. A Toyosu morning, followed by an Odaiba afternoon, makes for an efficient Tokyo Bay itinerary.
