Tsukiji Outer Fish Market Guided Walking Tour Tokyo

Tsukiji: from reclaimed land to Tokyo's famous fish market

Tsukiji means built land, and the whole district was reclaimed from the sea in the 1600s after a great fire destroyed much of Edo. In 1935 Tokyo's central wholesale market opened here, and for more than eighty years it was the busiest fish market in the world, famous for its dawn tuna auctions. In 2018 the wholesale market moved to Toyosu, across the water, but the outer market stayed.

That outer market, where chefs and families have always bought supplies, is what you explore on this Tsukiji fish market tour. Your guide meets you at Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya Line, which is the simplest answer to how to get to Tsukiji; Tsukiji-shijo Station on the Oedo Line is also a short walk away. Along the way you learn how the market fed the whole city.

Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple

A few minutes from the station stands Tsukiji Hongwanji, one of the most unusual temples in Japan. Founded in the 1600s and moved here after the 1657 fire, it was rebuilt in stone in 1934 after the great earthquake, in a style inspired by the ancient Buddhist temples of India, with a domed roof and carved animals guarding the stairs: elephants, lions, peacocks and monkeys.

Inside, the main hall is calm and richly decorated in gold, and it even contains a pipe organ, rare for a Buddhist temple. Your guide explains the Pure Land school of Buddhism that the temple follows and how it has served the market workers for generations. It is a peaceful prelude before the bustle of the market, and visitors are welcome to sit quietly in the hall.

The lanes of the Tsukiji Outer Market

The outer market is a dense grid of narrow lanes and covered alleys packed with small shops, many run by the same families for generations. Fishmongers display glistening tuna, salmon roe, sea urchin and oysters on ice; greengrocers stack seasonal vegetables and fruit; and tiny counters serve kaisendon, bowls of rice topped with fresh raw seafood, from early in the morning.

Your guide leads you through the most interesting lanes and explains how to read the stalls, which fish are in season and how Japanese diners judge quality. Is the Tsukiji Outer Market worth visiting now that the wholesale market has gone? Yes: the atmosphere, the variety and the street food remain, and a guide helps you find the best stalls in a short time.

Street food stops: tamagoyaki, grilled seafood and sweets

Tsukiji is one of the best places in Tokyo to graze. The most famous snack is tamagoyaki, a sweet, layered rolled omelette cooked in square pans and served warm on a stick. Other favourites include scallops and giant clams grilled with soy sauce, skewers of fresh tuna, fish cakes, crab and sea urchin served in the shell, and mochi rice cakes with strawberries or red bean paste.

Food is not included in the tour, so you choose and pay at each stall, which lets you try exactly what you like. Your guide recommends trusted vendors, explains the etiquette of eating at the stall rather than walking with food, and helps with ordering. Bring cash, as many small vendors do not take cards.

Knives, katsuobushi and the ingredients of Japanese cooking

Besides seafood, Tsukiji is a treasure house for cooks. Knife shops sell hand-forged blades for sushi and vegetables and can engrave your name on them; dried-goods shops offer kombu seaweed, shaved katsuobushi bonito flakes and dried shiitake, the building blocks of dashi stock; and tea merchants sell green tea and powdered matcha.

Your guide explains how these ingredients create umami, the savoury taste at the heart of Japanese cooking, and which ones make good gifts that travel well. The best time to visit Tsukiji is in the morning, as many shops close by early afternoon and some close on Sundays, public holidays and certain Wednesdays. The tour ends back at Tsukiji Station.