The Tuna Auction at Toyosu Market

What is the Toyosu tuna auction?

Toyosu is Tokyo’s working fish market. Every morning, tuna arrives on ice from auction houses across Japan. Dealers gather in the auction ring, the auctioneer calls each lot at rapid speed, and in under a minute a 400-pound tuna is sold. Thousands of tuna move through the market this way before dawn.

The wholesale market is not a tourist trap. It’s a real working space with real dealers and real speed. Most of the tuna you see at an omakase counter came through this same auction 24 hours earlier.

The tour: what you actually see

Public deck access: You watch from a viewing platform above the auction ring. You see the speed, the shouting, the tuna moving on ice. It’s loud, it’s fast, and you’ll see why people call it a dance.

Dealer-close access: The operator arranges closer access with a market dealer. You get to a spot where you see the tuna moving and hear the auction up close. This is the $111 auction tour’s draw.

After the auction: breakfast

The operator takes you to breakfast. You can choose Sushi Dai (a sushi counter near the market) or Bentomi (a tuna-bowl spot) depending on the option you book. A real post-auction meal with fresh tuna that may have been on the auction floor hours earlier.

Logistics and timing

Very early start.
The auction happens early, so the tour starts before dawn. The operator sends you the exact meeting time after you book. Expect 5 or 6 a.m. start times.

Location.
Toyosu Market is served by Shijō-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, about 15 minutes from central Tokyo.

Tsukiji outer market.
The wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but Tsukiji’s outer market is still there — a working street-food and knife-shop district. It’s worth a morning walk if you want old Tokyo atmosphere.

Frequently asked questions