Guide to Toyosu Market, including how to visit the tuna auction

The Fisheries Wholesale Market building is where domestic and foreign fisheries gather to auction off their catch to seafood brokerages and big-volume buyers. This is also the place where the famed tuna auction takes place from 5.30am to 6.30am.

While visitors aren't allowed on the market floor, there are several observation windows on the third floor looking down at the tuna auction from above. There is, however, a special tuna auction observation deck closer to the action on the same level, but you'll need an advance reservation to get into the area (more on this below).

Additionally, there are a few dedicated windows from the galleries above, allowing you a look into areas of the market where other fresh seafood is sold. You can differentiate between the areas by the colour of the floors. The tuna auction zone is green, while the general seafood area is grey.

The Fisheries Intermediate Wholesale Market building is where local shops, sushi restaurants and other licensed buyers come to purchase seafood from intermediate wholesalers. General visitors are not allowed in the trading area, but there are designated zones open to the public, including the restaurant floor, Uogashi Yokocho Market and a spacious rooftop garden. If you want to peek into the market area, head up to the observation gallery above.

The restaurant zone in this building offers the most variety out of all the buildings at Toyosu. It's home to some restaurants that relocated from Tsukiji. If you woke up early for the tuna auction, we recommend enjoying an early-morning sushi breakfast here after the auction.

Hoping to pick up some souvenirs? Make a beeline for the Uogashi Yokocho Market. This shopping area is open to the public and features around 70 shops selling non-perishables, cooking utensils, spices and seasonings, cleaning items and more. 

While you might not think Toyosu has much of a view, the rooftop garden here might just change your mind. The wide open space provides panoramic views of Tokyo Bay and the city's stunning skyline – including Tokyo Tower.

Toyosu is also home to a fruit and vegetable market building. Here you'll find 90 intermediary wholesalers dealing in fresh produce. Like the other buildings, visitors aren't allowed on the market floor, but you can observe the action from dedicated observation windows that are colour-coded according to the zone's trade. There are also a handful of restaurants located in this building.

Interestingly, large retailers like grocery stores usually claim about 92 percent of the produce that comes through this market, with negotiations starting a day ahead. The auctions held here are for the remaining eight percent of produce, which gets sold to smaller shopkeepers looking for a good bargain.