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Offered languages
- Japanese
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
Four hundred years ago, Tsukiji was a stormy stretch of open water. Legend says a prayer to the sea calmed the waves, clearing the way for a shogun to reclaim the land. Fishermen from Osaka built the area, and the food they created out of necessity still shapes what you’ll taste today.
While the wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, Tsukiji’s outer market remains. Sample the street food that helped make this one of Tokyo’s most famous food destinations, while discovering the small shrines and hidden histories woven into the neighborhood.
With a local expert, connect Tsukiji’s land, faith and food through stories most visitors miss.
As a completely private tour, the experience is yours to shape. Linger at a shrine, follow your nose down a side street, or ask the questions guidebooks skip.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Tsukiji Hongwanji Main Gate (Tsukiji Metro Line Station exit 1) Your Local Expert will be waiting for you at the meeting point holding a sign with the company's logo, so you can easily identify them.
Itinerary
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1Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple
Your Tsukiji day starts with a surprise, and it has nothing to do with fish. Indian stonework, sweeping arches, and a facade with nothing in common with the typical Buddhist temples of Japan. Step inside and the surprises keep coming: a pipe organ, stained glass, and mythical beasts pulled straight from Japanese folklore, tucked into corners you'd never think to check.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Tsukiji Fish Market
For 83 years, this was the biggest fish market in Japan, and the sights, smells and shouts of stallholders still carry that history through the alleys. Tuna, octopus and produce piled high are the same professional-grade ingredients that still draw chefs and buyers through here before most tourists are even awake. Your local expert will guide you toward the flavors that built this market's reputation: tamagoyaki straight off a skewer, fried fish cakes, a bowl of the freshest sushi in the city, and a cup of Japanese tea to tie it all together. Come hungry, and get ready to eat like a local.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Namiyoke Inari Shrine
Right beside the market sits a shrine with an unusual origin story. Relentless waves, a deity set adrift on the water, and a prayer that finally let the whole neighborhood get built. Look closer and you'll find memorial mounds dedicated to sushi, eggs, shrimp and anglerfish. Your local expert will explain what they're really telling you about how finely divided Tsukiji's trades once were.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Tsukiji
Glass display cases hold rows of polished Japanese knives and tools in a warmly lit shop, with a vendor in a red apron standing behind them. Sharp Edges and Sweet Endings Finish off your Tsukiji walking tour amongst the artisan knife shops, where blades from famous knife-making regions get finished with Tokyo craftsmanship. Then wind down at one of the small cafes nearby, the same kind that kept market tradesmen fueled through decades of early mornings. Before parting ways, your local expert will send you off with recommendations for wherever your Tokyo trip takes you next.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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