Toyosu Market & a Sushi Class in One Day

Toyosu is a major wholesale market in Tokyo. The wholesale functions of Tsukiji moved here in 2018; visitors can see the early tuna auction from designated viewing areas and explore the market's public corridors.

Pairing a visit to Toyosu with a sushi class in Asakusa makes a satisfying day: you can watch the tuna auction in the morning, then shape nigiri with your own hands a few hours later. This guide covers what you can see at Toyosu, the days the market is closed, how to get between Toyosu and Asakusa, and two plans that fit both into one day.

What visitors can see at Toyosu Market

Toyosu is a working wholesale market, not a theme park. Visitors watch from dedicated corridors on upper floors, which keeps the trading floors safe and clean.

Visitor corridors: according to the Koto City tourism association, the visitor corridors are open from 5:00 to 17:00 on days when the market is open. Entry is free.
The tuna auction: the Toyosu Market association lists the tuna auction as running from about 5:30 to 6:30. Activity on the wholesale floors is busiest in the early morning, so the later you arrive, the quieter it is.
Restaurants: there are restaurants inside the market buildings, including many sushi and seafood-rice-bowl shops. Hours vary by shop, so check before you plan a meal around one.

Two ways to watch the tuna auction

There are two viewing options.

Upper visitor corridor, no reservation. You can watch the tuna auction freely from the second-floor visitor corridor without applying. You look down through glass, and audio from the auction floor is broadcast in the corridor.
Lower observation deck, by lottery. Apply in advance through the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s current instructions. Check the application dates, group limits, required identification and meeting time for your visit; a class reservation does not secure market admission.

The lottery is not first come, first served, so do not build your whole trip around winning it. The upper corridor still gives you a good view of the rows of frozen tuna and the auctioneers at work.

Check the closed days first

This is the most important step. The wholesale market is closed on Sundays, national holidays, some Wednesdays and over the New Year, and the visitor corridors are not open on those days. The market publishes an opening calendar on its official website. Check it before you choose your date, because a closed Wednesday is easy to miss.

Check the official market calendar before booking. Visitor corridors close on market holidays; individual restaurant and shop hours vary. Allow extra time for walking, transfers and arriving at the class 10 minutes early.

Getting between Toyosu and Asakusa

The station for the market is Shijo-mae on the Yurikamome, an automated elevated line. From Asakusa there are two simple routes:

Via Shimbashi: take the Toei Asakusa Line from Asakusa to Shimbashi, then the Yurikamome to Shijo-mae. The Yurikamome gives views over the waterfront.
Via Toyosu: take the Ginza Line from Asakusa to Ginza, leave the ticket gates and walk at street level to Ginza-itchome. Take the Yurakucho Line to Toyosu, then the Yurikamome to Shijo-mae. This is an outdoor transfer between two stations, as shown on the Tokyo Metro map.

The route planner Ekitan shows the fastest connection between Shijo-mae and Asakusa, via Shimbashi, at about 51 minutes. Allow about an hour each way from our studio, and check a route planner on the day. For the auction, first trains may not get you to the market in time, especially from Asakusa. Check first-train times the night before; if they are too late, a taxi is the practical option.

Our guide to walking from Asakusa Station to the studio covers the final few minutes once you are back in Asakusa.

Plan 1: Early auction, then a late-morning or midday class

This is the plan for people who want the auction.

Before dawn: arrive at Toyosu in time for the auction, and watch from the upper corridor.
Around 7:00: walk the rest of the visitor corridors while the floors are still busy.
Mid-morning: travel back to Asakusa.
Class: on the November dates we checked, our signature sushi and matcha class had sessions at 10:00 and 12:00, although start times vary by date. The 12:00 session gives you a more relaxed transfer.

Keep breakfast light. The class takes about 90 minutes and includes eating the sushi you make, so it works as your main meal.

Plan 2: Class first, Toyosu in the afternoon

If you are not an early riser, flip the day. If a 10:00 session is available on your date, take the class in Asakusa, then head to Toyosu after lunch. The trading floors will be quiet by then, but the visitor corridors stay open until 17:00 on market days, and you can still see the scale of the place.

Next to the market, the Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai complex opened in 2024 with food shops and a hot-spring facility, about four minutes on foot from Shijo-mae Station. Toyosu is also home to teamLab Planets. Our teamLab Planets and sushi class day covers that combination.

Toyosu, Tsukiji or both?

Toyosu and Tsukiji are often confused. Toyosu is the wholesale market with the tuna auction. Tsukiji is the Outer Market, a lively neighbourhood of food stalls and kitchen shops that stayed behind when the wholesale market moved. If you want to graze on street food rather than watch trading, read Tsukiji Market or a sushi class.

Why the market makes the class better

Watching a working wholesale market adds context to the fish you later prepare in class. Our class includes shaping nigiri and rolling futomaki with English-language instruction. The market visit is an independent outing: the class price does not include a market tour or transport, and this itinerary does not establish where the class ingredients were sourced. Our guide to the best fish for sushi explains common fish choices.

Book your Toyosu and sushi day

Start by checking the market calendar, then choose a class session that fits your plan. Book the signature sushi and matcha class in Asakusa, and turn a morning of watching Tokyo's fish trade into an afternoon of making sushi yourself.