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- Tokyo's Kitchen, Tsukiji Market Relocated to Toyosu: an Overview of the New Facility
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Tokyo's Kitchen, Tsukiji Market Relocated to Toyosu: an Overview of the New Facility
- TOKYO
- DINING
- SHOPPING
- SIGHTSEEING
- SPECIAL
- FISH_MARKET
- TOYOSU
- TSUKIJI
- SUSHI/SASHIMI
- JAPANESE_FOOD
- SEAFOOD
The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market Tsukiji Market has had a long career as the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market. In October 2018, after 80 years the beloved Tsukiji closed its doors to reopen in the nearby area of Toyosu. The shiny new market is alive and charming, offering interesting tours and fresh food.
We hurried to Toyosu right after it opened, to explored and discover what it has to offer.
There are four market buildings: the Fish Wholesale Market Building, the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building, the Fruit and Vegetable Market Building, and the management facility building. All have direct access from the station via walkways.
The market is closed on Sundays and public holidays. It may occasionally close on Wednesdays as well and there are also extra temporary holidays, so it is best to check before you go.
If you want to witness a tuna auction, be ready for a very early wake-up as the market opens to the public at 5 a.m. and the auctions start around 5:30. So be aware that if you show up at noon, you'll find a deserted market and no auctions.
A tour for visitors is available in each building that lets you see the market from a higher perspective. This includes the auction area, so you'll be able to take in the impressive scene of all that tuna lined up on the floor from a vantage point.
Scattered about the market are also multilingual information points that use QR Translator technology. Just scan the QR code with your phone and you'll have access to information in 15 languages.
The restaurants are mainly found in the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market and management facility building. Both places are very crowded from the early morning, so we recommend to visit right after they open or before they close. However, many places sell out early and close ahead of time so the earlier you visit the better.
From the moment you enter, you will be mesmerized by the chef's flawless movements. Their tuna dipped in homemade soy sauce is out of this world.
If you want to try a variety of sushi, we recommend their "trust the chef" course (4,500 yen). It includes 9 pieces of seasonal sushi, one piece of your own choice and a tamagoyaki omelet.
Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building
Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (the reception is closed in accordance with closing)
Their special assorted sushi set (3,900 yen) includes 10 assorted nigiri pieces with chutoro (medium fatty tuna), otoro (fatty tuna), and maki rolls.
Place: management facility building
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (subject to chances)
If you want to go all in, our recommendation is the luxurious uni mori 7 pieces bowl (3,800 yen). You'll get treated to a topping of sea urchin, chutoro tuna, ikura salmon roe, crab and even more goodness.
Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building Hours 6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
In the picture below is the oyakodon (900 yen). Flavored with yuzu and chili peppers, it has a crisp and refreshing taste. It also comes with the chicken soup.
Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Knives and other cooking utensils favored by the pros are also the joy of foreign visitors, that often grab the chance to bring home a special souvenir.
Other popular items are the Toyosu t-shirts from Ito Uroko and the classic tamagoyaki omelet from Marutake.
Toyosu Market definitely made it easier for visitors to enjoy tours, food and shopping without compromising the market's activities and auctions. The location and atmosphere might be different, but the enthusiasm of the people working here and the attractiveness as a market are unchanged.
There are many more places and shops that we couldn't fit in this article, so make sure you visit Toyosu Market if you get the chance!
Address: 6 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 5:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (food and goods stores each have their own opening times)
Closed on Sunday, public holiday, market holiday
* Click here for holiday details
Access: short walk from Yurikamome Shijo-mae Station
Website: http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/english/toyosu/
We hurried to Toyosu right after it opened, to explored and discover what it has to offer.
How to Get There
Toyosu Market can be found right in front of Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, in the Tokyo Bay area. You can transfer to this line from Shimbashi Station on the JR, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Toei Asakusa Line. You can also catch it from Toyosu Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.There are four market buildings: the Fish Wholesale Market Building, the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building, the Fruit and Vegetable Market Building, and the management facility building. All have direct access from the station via walkways.
Follow the multilingual information boards
Buses from Shimbashi Station to Toyosu Market are available between 5 and 8 a.m. and they only take 20 minutes.
The market is closed on Sundays and public holidays. It may occasionally close on Wednesdays as well and there are also extra temporary holidays, so it is best to check before you go.
Market opening days and holiday year calendar
Watch the Famous Tuna Auctions from Different Observation Points!
The main attraction of the market is arguably the lively tuna auctions. In Toyosu, you can see them at the Fish Wholesale Market Building.If you want to witness a tuna auction, be ready for a very early wake-up as the market opens to the public at 5 a.m. and the auctions start around 5:30. So be aware that if you show up at noon, you'll find a deserted market and no auctions.
A tour for visitors is available in each building that lets you see the market from a higher perspective. This includes the auction area, so you'll be able to take in the impressive scene of all that tuna lined up on the floor from a vantage point.
Bidders examine the merchandise before the auction begins
From January 19 of 2019 a new visitor deck is also accessible. This observation point is way lower, offering a view of the scene almost from the same perspective as the bidders. Information and rules about the visitor's deck are available on the Toyosu Market website.
The auction seen from the visitor's deck
The Visitor Tour
You can join the tour and visit the market while learning about the seafood and vegetables dealt in each building, the market's history, and the professional work involved.Scattered about the market are also multilingual information points that use QR Translator technology. Just scan the QR code with your phone and you'll have access to information in 15 languages.
Look for these panels with Toyosu Market's mascot character
While exploring the market, you'll come across many little points of interest. In the Fish Wholesale Market Building is a model of the largest Pacific bluefin tuna, so you'll get an idea of how big this fish can be up close. In the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building you'll find one of the iconic turret trucks used by the people working in the market to get around, called tare in Japanese.
Even if you don't make if for the early morning auctions, there is still plenty to see in each building.
After the Tour, Treat Yourself to Some Amazing Food
Many of the restaurants from Tsukiji have brought their unchanged taste to Toyosu to keep satisfying their loyal customers with their memorable dishes.The restaurants are mainly found in the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market and management facility building. Both places are very crowded from the early morning, so we recommend to visit right after they open or before they close. However, many places sell out early and close ahead of time so the earlier you visit the better.
It's hard to go wrong as you're sure to have a great meal no matter what you choose. Here is a selection of our favorite places, including an alternative choice to fish.
■ Sushi Dai
Everyone knows this place for two things: the quality of its food and the long line. Even after moving to Toyosu, Sushi Dai continues to be very popular and people start lining up in front of it as soon as it opens. The restaurant often sells out before noon, so make sure you get here when it opens if you're determined to grab some of it's amazing sushi.From the moment you enter, you will be mesmerized by the chef's flawless movements. Their tuna dipped in homemade soy sauce is out of this world.
If you want to try a variety of sushi, we recommend their "trust the chef" course (4,500 yen). It includes 9 pieces of seasonal sushi, one piece of your own choice and a tamagoyaki omelet.
Information
Sushi Dai | 寿司大Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building
Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (the reception is closed in accordance with closing)
■ Iso Sushi
Another very popular sushi place. At Iso Sushi, emphasis is put on seasonal products, which are carefully selected and offered to customers every day. Here you can taste a real authentic sushi. The sushi rice is also delicious.Their special assorted sushi set (3,900 yen) includes 10 assorted nigiri pieces with chutoro (medium fatty tuna), otoro (fatty tuna), and maki rolls.
Information
Iso Sushi | 磯寿司Place: management facility building
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (subject to chances)
■ Kaisendon Oedo
The bowls from Kaisendon Oedo are close to legendary. Here you can choose between more than 60 different types of kaisendon, basically a bowl of rice topped with seafood. These bowls are big, packed with melt in your mouth seafood, and the variety will have you coming back for more.If you want to go all in, our recommendation is the luxurious uni mori 7 pieces bowl (3,800 yen). You'll get treated to a topping of sea urchin, chutoro tuna, ikura salmon roe, crab and even more goodness.
Information
Kaisendon Oedo | 海鮮丼 大江戸Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building Hours 6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
■ Toritoh
Our last recommendation is for people who are not fans of fish. This restaurant specializes in chicken and it's run by chicken wholesalers. Open for over 100 years, Toritoh serves carefully picked Daisendori, a brand of chicken from Tottori Prefecture that is ultra-soft and packed with umami flavor. The main dishes here are oyakodon (a rice bowl topped with chicken and eggs) and torimeshi (chicken and rice). They also take pride in their soup made with meticulously cooked chicken bones.In the picture below is the oyakodon (900 yen). Flavored with yuzu and chili peppers, it has a crisp and refreshing taste. It also comes with the chicken soup.
Information
Toritoh | 鳥藤Place: Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Grab Some Souvenirs at Uogashi Yokocho
On the 4th floor of the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building is a shopping plaza called Uogashi Yokocho. Along the neat and spotless corridors are about 70 shops mainly catered to food professionals. Even after relocating from Tsukiji the quality and variety remains unchanged, drawing locals and visitors alike.Knives and other cooking utensils favored by the pros are also the joy of foreign visitors, that often grab the chance to bring home a special souvenir.
Other popular items are the Toyosu t-shirts from Ito Uroko and the classic tamagoyaki omelet from Marutake.
Business hours vary for each shop, but most of them are open from early morning until lunchtime. Although many of the shops sell food, be aware that eating while walking is not allowed here.
Toyosu Market definitely made it easier for visitors to enjoy tours, food and shopping without compromising the market's activities and auctions. The location and atmosphere might be different, but the enthusiasm of the people working here and the attractiveness as a market are unchanged.
There are many more places and shops that we couldn't fit in this article, so make sure you visit Toyosu Market if you get the chance!
Information
Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market Toyosu Market | 東京中央卸売市場 豊洲市場Address: 6 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 5:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (food and goods stores each have their own opening times)
Closed on Sunday, public holiday, market holiday
* Click here for holiday details
Access: short walk from Yurikamome Shijo-mae Station
Website: http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/english/toyosu/
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THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON INFORMATION FROM 02 17,2019 Author：DiGJAPAN! Editorial Team
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