Watch the tuna auction at the largest fish market on Earth
05:30, and you apply by lottery
Toyosu Market opened in October 2018 as Tokyo's central wholesale market, taking over from Tsukiji. The tuna auction runs 05:30 to 06:30 every day except Sundays and market holidays.
Why it's unique
It is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, and the tuna auction is the moment the day's prices are set for a global commodity.
What makes it an experience rather than a viewing gallery is the lower deck. There is a glass barrier, but it stops short of the ceiling, so you hear it: the bell, the auctioneer's chant, and the buyers' hand signals going off in a room full of frozen bluefin. From the upper windows you watch it in silence, which is a different and much lesser thing.
Before you go
Two ways in, and they are not equivalent. The upper observation windows are free, need no booking, and are behind glass. The lower deck holds about 120 people a day, is also free, and is allocated by an online lottery on the market's official site, opening roughly a week each month for the month following. Apply before you fly.
You must be there before 05:30 and there are no trains that early. Budget for a taxi or plan to be out all night.
The sushi counters inside the market open early and are the best-value breakfast in Tokyo. Queue at Sushi Dai or Daiwa Sushi before six or do not bother.