Courtney J.
Yelp
If I could take anything back from Japan with me, I would take this market. I've only been away from it for a couple days, and I already miss it. It is a magical place for lovers of food and drink. We went two days in a row.
You need to find a table 1st and have someone hold it or use your bag/coat to mark your spot. Then go off to various spots collecting your goodies. Some if then will be delivered to your table, so be sure to note the table number so you can tell the shop keeper when you order. Other things you'll get when you order it and you will just take it back to your table.
The coolest thing about this place is you can try so many different things at once, prices are fair, and it's a great way to interact with the locals. We ended up chatting with two high schoolers and a university student at our table. We ate and drank for hours and had a great time. Plus, it forced me to try speak my bad Japanese, which while embarrassing, is how you learn.
If you like fish at all, you have to get the Katsuo Tataki. This is tender, flavorful, smokey fish goodness. I tried a few different ones in the market, and my favorite is the one on the back left corner of the market. Nice people there too. You order it by how many people. My husband and I ate 4 people's worth, and could have eaten more, but we had the good sense to stop at that point. That shop also has tasty tempura sea veggies and a garlic cucumber salad we enjoyed.
If you want to see how the katsuo tataki is made, check out the shop in the right front of the market. They use hay and char it to give it that smokey flavor. That one was good too, but not quite as good. Go for salt flavor, not sauce. Enjoy with some raw garlic and lemon.
There are drinks galore! Lots of local nihonshu, beer, and fruit chu-hi's. You can get lots of salty snacks to go with them that you would find at an izakaya like gobo (burdock root) sticks, French fries, fried cheese...etc. we had some cheap but tasty nigiri from a stand at this market too. You can even buy Indian food! So so many choices, so everyone will be happy!
A word of advice, if you come on a weekend, chances are it will be packed to the gills, and you'll have trouble finding a table. Find a shop that delivers to the table, and they might help you find a seat. That's how we managed at prime time in a Saturday night!