This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 05:00 Meet in front of the main gate of Toyosu Market
- 05:00-05:30 Advance explanation of related information such as how tuna is caught, how the auction proceeds, collection methods, and the roles of primary wholesalers and intermediate wholesalers
- 05:30-06:00 Watch the tuna auction
- 06:00-07:00 Sushi breakfast at a sushi restaurant inside Toyosu Market
- 07:00-07:15 Travel to Tsukiji
- 07:15-08:00 Stroll through the Tsukiji inner market
- 08:00 Disband at Tsukiji
What Is a Tokyo Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Private Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
1. The tour experience and guest reactions
The guests were a group visiting from Oceania. They had signed up for the tuna auction tour because of an interest in Japanese fish cuisine.
At the tuna auction, the guests were amazed that a single tuna is sold in about five seconds. They enjoyed watching the dealers' hand signals and tracking the bidding prices, saying things like "This one is 4,000 yen, that one over there is 5,000 yen."
After watching the auction, they had breakfast at a sushi restaurant. Here, one of the guests mentioned, "Actually, one of us has never eaten sushi before," and the other admitted, "I'm not usually interested in raw fish." This made me a little nervous. However, the guest was very satisfied with this first-ever sushi experience, and seemed to especially enjoy the lean tuna sushi and the salmon roe sushi, which was a relief for me as the guide. They were particularly impressed by the way the salmon roe bursts in the mouth. While salmon is eaten in Oceania, they said that eating salmon roe is not a common habit there.
At Tsukiji, we happened to come across an intermediate wholesaler I am well acquainted with, who had just placed a fresh bluefin tuna of about 180 kg — freshly won at auction — onto the cutting table. Since there were no other tourists around, I quietly asked the staff, "Would it be okay to take a photo?" and received permission for "just one photo," which delighted the guests. (Photography is normally prohibited at the intermediate wholesalers.)
Since the guests were full from the sushi, we focused our visit at Tsukiji mainly on the intermediate wholesaler shops. One of the guests cooks and showed interest in Japanese kitchen knives, listening intently to explanations about them for a while. However, they seemed to already own several knives and avoided an immediate decision, saying, "Let me think about it."
2. Other impressions, notes, and requests
Today the number of tourists watching the auction was about two-thirds of the peak, so the guests were able to observe relatively calmly. As I expect the number of visitors to gradually decrease from now on, I intend to make sure that guests joining the tour can fully enjoy the auction.
Click here for more details: Toyosu Tuna Auction & Tsukiji Local Food Tour, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Bus | Toyosu Market / Toei Bus～Tsukiji 6-chome / Toei Bus | 210JPY |
| Total | 210JPY | ||
Hello, I am Toru, a certified National Guide. I have been guiding since 2017, primarily in the Tokyo area, which includes Hakone, Kamakura, and Yokohama. To make your stay in Japan unforgettable, I always discuss a tour plan with my guests via email before their arrival. Please share your preferences, including the places you’d like to visit and the experiences you’d like to try during your stay in Tokyo. If this is your first visit to Japan, I’m excited to help make your time in Tokyo even more enjoyable by suggesting sample itineraries and offering travel tips.
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https://japan-cultural-traditional-experience.com/hello-welcome-to-japan/
For your reference, please feel free to visit my blog, which features popular sightseeing spots and interesting experiences.
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I look forward to meeting you soon!
July 2, 2026
David S
Tripadvisor : Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Incredible experience at the Markets!
Toru…
July 2, 2026
David S
Tripadvisor : Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Incredible experience at the Markets!
Toru was an AMAZING host and tour guide. He went above and beyond with communication prior, during, and after to make sure my Son and I had an incredible experience. He was unbelievably knowledgeable and catered the tour to what we wanted as well. The sushi breakfast was unreal! Learning all about both Toyosu and Tsukiji markets was an experience we will never forget. 10 out of 10 for sure!!
Jun 6, 2026
meltemg957
Unique experience with a highly knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide…
Jun 6, 2026
meltemg957
Unique experience with a highly knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
This was our first time visiting a fish market, and from the time we booked the experience, Toru-san has been amazing. He helped us get to Toyosu market, where the tuna auction takes place, at the right time to get the best views and explained everything about how the auction works and made sure we didn’t miss anything. (You will need a knowledgeable tour guide because everything happens so fast and you might miss it!) We learned so much during such a short time about how the delicious tuna you eat at a sushi restaurant ends up in front of you. After the auction Toru-san took us to Okame, a great sushi restaurant, where we got to experience delicious sushi breakfast. Our next stop was Tsukiji market, and again we got to try all sorts of food and learn more about the market and got to meet some of the vendors. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. If you are interested in cooking, Japanese cuisine, or know someone home, this tour will give you the opportunity to do some shopping for unique souvenirs.
We had to get to Toyosu market before 5 am, and while you might think it’s too early, but why not do something fun and delicious with your jetlag? It was so worth it and I’m glad we chose to spend our first morning in Tokyo with Toru-san. The other advantage of being so early was that the market was not as crowded and we got to enjoy our time without having to wait in line.
Thank you, Toru-san!
Jun 4, 2026
bluejerky1
Turo was knowledgeable and the tour was fun and fun and informative. Highly recommend.
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction…
Jun 4, 2026
bluejerky1
Turo was knowledgeable and the tour was fun and fun and informative. Highly recommend.
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
The tour was great. We got to learn a lot about sushi and really enjoyed our time in the
market as well.
May 29, 2026
Eva P
Fabulous experience with Toru!
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Toru was…
May 29, 2026
Eva P
Fabulous experience with Toru!
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Toru was a fantastic guide and made our experience one to remember. He picked us up
from the hotel and clearly knew how to be there early to get a good view. He also took us to
a delicious sushi place thereafter which the whole family enjoyed.