Toyosu

If seeing the infamous fish auction is on your bucket list, Toyosu is the place to be. There's a lottery for tickets and if you're lucky enough to score them, you'll be able to view the auction from a designated open platform area. Otherwise, it's a first come first served view from the second floor through the windows. We found the buildings to be pretty sterile: clean, industrial looking and feeling, which is probably a good thing when it comes to food handling and safety. I wouldn't go out of my way for this. Our main goal was Sushi Dai, so we checked out the market while waiting for our sushi time slot. The auction was already over by this time (7am) but we were able to see the huge frozen ahi being transported.

Once and done type of place, at least for me. Originally was going to go for sushi dai early in the morning, but I decided I didn't want to wait for hours again so we went just for the heck of it. We went on a weekday after visiting Tsukiji Outer Market--now THATS still the place to go. The place was a subway ride away even passing by the TeamLab Planet venue. The buildings were basically giant warehouses, but clean..a little too office-y for my liking. A handful of restaurants and confectionary stores. Most of them seemed full around lunch time. We walked towards the end and signage seemed to point us down this long hallway towards the fish auction site. Once we made it to point B, it was basically just windows overlooking the different areas. Likely soundproof too. Obviously it was later in the day so everything was nice and clean with no fish in sight. There were random photos on the walls and tidbits of information about the place scattered around. Theres a bathroom for people to make a pitstop and few benches here and there. Unless you're specifically going for a restaurant or trying to see the fish auction at the crack of dawn (or earlier), its probably not worth the time and effort.

We flew into Tokyo on a Friday night, and early the next morning, before we got used to sleeping past 4 a.m., we went to Toyosu Market and lined up for Sushi Dai. We took a cab, as it was something like 3:45 when we arrived, and there was a nice man at the drop-off point who told us where to go to line up for our sushi breakfast. We found a small group of people on a covered walkway that struck us as shockingly clean (the equivalent walkway, in an industrial neighborhood of Los Angeles, would be blasted with human waste). We were something like #10 and #11 in line, and we made friends with another American couple while we waited. The building--one of several that make up the Toyosu Market--opened at 5 a.m., and we put our name down at Sushi Dai and were told to come back at 6 for the first seating. We went to the cafe a few doors down from Dai, where Matt got a cup of coffee through a take-out window. The coffee was hilariously small and also came with a lid with no hole, which made it a very difficult takeout coffee. We could've sat at the cafe to pass the time, but we decided to check out the tuna auction. I'd seen the famous auction at Tsukiji twice way back in the day, and before it moved to Toyosu, tourists were allowed to watch the action up close and personal, from the market floor. Now, you can watch from an observation deck on the second floor, or, if you enter a lottery in advance and get lucky, from a better observation deck that is still more remote than the set-up at Tsukiji. Given all this, we weren't set on seeing the tuna auction at Toyosu, but we figured we might as well, and I'm glad we went. It was on the other side of the market, through a series of nondescript outdoor and indoor walkways. Toyosu doesn't seem quite as vibrant as Tsukiji, but it's possible we were just there too early in the day. The way to the tuna auction was clearly marked for tourists, and we were pleased to find the observation deck sparsely populated at 5:30 on a Saturday morning. We stood and watched to our heart's content without getting in the way of other waiting tourists. The auction was fun, even from a distance. Toyosu is one of the world's biggest fish markets, and we got a good sense of the action and industry happening below. The fish were huge and tasty-looking, laid out in long rows with choice cuts of their red flesh on display. We only stayed around five minutes, though, and that seemed like enough. We walked back and had an amazing 6 a.m. meal of sushi and beer and sake for a remarkably reasonable amount of money (do bring cash). After that, we took a stroll around the rooftop garden, which had some lovely views of Tokyo. If we'd been smart and confident in our post-flight energy levels, we might have planned ahead and combined this whole excursion with our visit to teamLab Planets later in our trip. I'm not totally sold on teamLab, but I'll just leave that tip here, as it would've saved us some cab fare. Anyway, if you're interested in the Toyosu Market, I'd strongly recommend lining up for breakfast at Sushi Dai and seeing the tuna auction while you're at it. I'm sure it's fun later in the day, but you can't wake up at a normal hour and get into Dai, which is, in my opinion, the market's main attraction.

The Toyosu market has a different vibe than the Tsukiji market. It is split into multiple buildings that are connected by covered walkways. There is one building with all the sushi restaurants, and there is another building where the tuna auctions happen. To be honest, there is really not much to see, especially if you visit in the early afternoon. There might be more action if you visit in the early morning to see the tuna auctions or get a ticket to queue up to try some of the sushi restaurants.

Toyosu is the largest wholesale fish market in the world. Visitors can watch the fish auction from a second floor observation deck. I didn't come early enough to watch that. There are three main buildings- two buildings for seafood and one for fruits and vegetables. They are connected with each other via walkways. There are some exhibitions with information for you to read in English. Overall, I would not go out of my way to come here. We only decided to come here because we had some time to kill. I much prefer Tsukiji Market. This place in comparison doesn't have the hustle and bustle of the old market. There weren't as many people here and it is very sterile.

The toyosu fish market is a great place to go to get an inside look into fish industry and try extremely high quality fish. It is less known than the tsukiji fish market but it is newer and less touristy. You have to arrive very early to observe the fish being distributed and to get into some of the sushi restaurants (5-6am). However, even if you arrive slightly later, there are lots of sushi restaurants to try from. You can also purchase fresh fish and produce.

To me, the Tsukiji Fish Market is no more. Yes, the old market was removed to pave way for a more modernized version in Toyosu (not to mention giving it that face lift to usher in Tokyo 2020 Olympics). Sadly, the move also took away the energy and the traditional market-like ambiance. On the plus side, the new market is cleaner and much more educational for locals and tourists alike. An added observations deck allows for a clear view of the auction process and removed the need to arrive early on site waiting in queue. But if you want a closer look to the tuna auction, then you'll need to reserve your spot for the lower deck approximately a month or two in advance online. There are plenty of seafood restaurants and cafes nearby if you want some early brunch action. But if fresh seafood (for cooking or sashimi to bring home) is what you want, then back to the outer Tsukiji Market you go.

Toyosu Market: To go from the sensory overload of Tsukiji Market to this experience probably was the biggest disappointment for Jamie W. and me on our trip to Japan. From a business standpoint much less the heightened congestion caused by the upcoming Olympics, I completely understand why the move needed to happen. The new operation reflects the height of Japanese efficiency. Listen, it's super-organized but also quite sterile. The problem is that the ramshackle state of chaos was exactly the reason why I found Tsukiji so enthralling (review: http://bit.ly/2NghMz3). It's easy to get to on the Yarakucho subway line because you simply get off at the Shijo-Mae station, not the Toyosu station as you would naturally presume. There are covered walkways that lead you to the three huge buildings that make up the market now. Good thing since there are swarms of people that come here even hours after the tuna auction is over. Frankly I'm not sure why because the fish wholesale market and the fruit & vegetable buildings consist of long hallways with views of vacant spaces and empty crates in the late morning. The fish intermediate wholesale building is where the hub of activity was with endless lines for the places selling fresh fish for lunch like Sushi Dai. Somehow I didn't mind the crowds as much at Tsukiji where it felt like it was part of the hurly burly ambiance but here it just felt like an overstuffed mall. RELATED - Traveling to Japan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2qrUBZo

Giving Toyosu Market a 3 start, but could potentially be 5 stars. I think a lot of us have been the Tsukiji Fish Market with the colorful vibes and auction. So, when I got up at the crack of dawn to get here, I was expecting something more. First of, there is plenty of signs to figure out where the observation deck is. I got there around half an hour before it opened, expecting a huge line, but there was only about 8 other parties by the time it opened. Once it opened, I walked over to the observation deck. It was cool to see the auction in action. The only thing is the deck is so far away, you couldn't really tell what was going on. After a while, I realized it was kind of like seeing a cool sports game from the nosebleed section. I found out there is a lottery where you can see if way closer (which I did not do the homework and did not realize). If I ever go there again, I am for sure going to sign up for the lottery. Other pluses to the market is that is very clean (like most of Japan) and there are restrooms that were also clean. There is also a food court area and I tried some sushi which was amazing! I would definitely go back here again and try my luck with the lottery. I think that there is potential to be a 5 star.

This review is painful to write. I don't know if I'll have enough faith or patience to give this place another shot. As many of you probably know, the historic Tsukiji Fish Market closed as of October 6, 2018 to get ready for the 2020 Olympics. The new fish market has been located to Toyosu Shijo (TS), which is not that far away from Tsukiji. TS has been opened since October 11, 2018. My group and I were so excited to come to TS so we came here last Saturday morning. Upon arrival I wasn't surprised to see many tourists. There are 2 main buildings here. The one on the right has many restaurants and vendors. Primarily the restaurants offered sushi. Vendors included fruits, vegetables, eggs, tea, etc. The other building on the left has the fish auction. For sanitary reasons the visitors view the auction from the second floor through a glass window. There were also educational displays for us to read. Why such a low rating? Perhaps it was our fault for not doing our due diligence. On Saturdays the market closes earlier so they had just cleaned up upon our arrival. Major shock. Of course many would anticipate eating fresh seafood when coming here. Our foodie group was looking forward to eating chutoro, uni, crab and abalone. Fact: There are quite a few stalls but each one has very limited seating. We stuck our heads in and noticed many places have seatings of about 12 seats each. When eating such seafood, it takes time to prepare so turnover is slow. Fact: For the above reasons, restaurants filled up quickly and excessive lines formed. Many eager faces were waiting to be seated. Some restaurants advised minimum 1 to 1.5 hour waiting time. Believe it or not but some restaurants were already closed because they sold out their food. We were hungry but not willing to wait that long. We ended up buying some premade foods to satisfy our hunger. Disappointment #1 In the other building we thought there would be more vendors but found various educational exhibits. Then, as we arrived the auction was already over and they cleaned up. Disappointment #2 Fact: Being that the auction had ended, maybe it's wrong for me to expect a sign "auction over" but we saw groups, groups and groups of visitors walking in only to realize the auction is over. As we walked out, again we saw more people heading over. There were staff standing but didn't bother to say anything. Disappointment#3 There's quite a bit of distance to come to TS and after my first visit, I'm not eager to return. Because so many things went wrong I'd hate to classify TS as a tourist trap. Because TS hasn't been opened for a month yet, I'm not sure if they will expand. They are in need of more restaurants and more seating in my opinion. All 6 of us walked away highly disappointed. I wish TS success but as a visitor I could have spent my time in Japan doing something else more productive. NOTE: Because TS just opened a few weeks ago, there were a handful of businesses with gigantic phalaenopsis orchid plants in front of their store to celebrate their grand opening.

Came early on a Monday morning to visit this fish market for their tuna auction. You can apply online for the lottery which is also English friendly. You find out the results through email and show it along with a photo ID for entrance. The email stated to come in at 5:30am and viewing was at 5:45am. I noticed a lot of other groups entered before us and we got there at 5:30am. They wore blue and red jackets along with a visitor pass lanyard. We got the yellow jackets and were the last group to enter. We bypassed those viewing the tuna auction from the second floor and were brought to a lower level. If the glass was not as foggy we would have been able to take better pictures. It was pretty cool to see the tuna auction so close up though. The experience was rather quick and we were out of there by 6:15am. The other restaurants are located in another building. Most of them didn't have a line so early in the morning except for sushi dai. There was a group sitting on stools. Since the subway system doesn't run that early, I would recommend taking the 1 bus from Shimbashi station to get there on time. Otherwise, an expensive cab ride. I didn't get a chance to check out the rooftop garden as it was also pouring. The security officers were friendly in helping you find your way if you're lost. The whole place was very clean and even the bathrooms were spotless and plentiful. I can't compare it to Tsujiki but overall a great experience.

I visited Toyosu, using Yurikamone-line.The market was super clean.There were many restaurants which served the best sushi in the world.I went to the observation decks.The most markets are closed.I walked around some of the stores.It seemed that Toyosu was a great shopping and sightseeing spot. Most of the people think that Tsukiji was better. I have never been to Tsukiji.Tsukiji is an old traditional market.Toyosu is too new.It takes time to be a beloved market like Tsukiji.

I could see many things closely as Tsukiji market. The restaurants were packed. The souvenir shops were pretty empty. They should build or make soMething more interesting.

Today is the first day that early morning Tuna auction at Toyosu Market is help for visitor who win a lottery. Off course, I won a lottery,so I and my daughter must wake up at 4:30AM, we reach the Toyosu Market at 5AM. There are some visitor in line. We waited a few minutes, we move to visitor deck at the first floor. When we enter it, there are some press who has VTR. Anyway, we can see tuna auction easly, but it take 10 mins only. We can hear auction sound and there are many tunas on the floor. If you want to join it, you need to entry this site(http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/toyosu/kenngaku/). the bottom of HP is written in English. And it is free!

TL:DR It's really not worth visiting UNLESS you reserve a spot at a 4 AM tuna auction. My friend and I were very jetlagged, and didn't have it in us to get up at 4 AM to watch an auction. If you don't reserve a spot, you end up at a very high viewing platform, which while air conditioned and comfy just lets you look at some cardboard boxes and a few crates on an empty floor. The sushi available was nice, but its all sit-down, not really a market; only Sushi Dai is worth travelling out for. If you want to, get there at 8 AM, because the line is upwards of 4 hours at normal lunch time, which isn't worth waiting for when amazing sushi restaurants are spread out all across Tokyo. Tsukiji market still has much better ambience, availability of stalls, and value for money. Nobody here is selling cheap curry pork rice balls or super premium otoro.

The new Toyosu market is highly touristy since you have to view the market through a looking glass, which is a huge disappointment since it has lost the vibrancy and atmosphere of the old Tsukiji inner market. It is much bigger and cleaner, but doesnt have the same old charm :(

My fiancé and I went to Toyosu Shijo for the first time and we had a great experience! We had sushi and that was DELICIOUS!!!The food they sell were a bit pricy but definitely worth it because those seafood they use are caught in the early morning every day so they are always so fresh. I gave four stars just because of the price.