What to eat at Tsukiji Outer Market: The 10 Best Foods & Drinks!

Last updated on April 24th, 2026

Ready to explore Tokyo’s most popular market? We’re sharing what to eat and drink at Tsukiji Outer Market!

If trying as many Japanese foods as possible is a goal for your time in Tokyo, you can’t miss a trip to Tsukiji Outer Market. This market was once home to the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, but in 2018, the fish market portion moved to Toyosu Market. However, the outer market, with 400 stalls, still remains!

Here you can find everything from fresh tuna and seafood delicacies, sweet treats, Japanese street food, and souvenirs. Some say that the market has lost its charm and is just a tourist trap now. But as a tourist ourselves, we personally think it’s still worth adding to your Tokyo itinerary. Yes, the prices may be higher than more local spots, but we had a lot of fun walking around, watching food be cooked, and sampling on quick bites!

However, with so many stalls to choose from, it can be tough figuring out what food items to eat in Tsukiji Market. But in this guide we’re sharing our top 10 foods and drinks that are actually worth spending your money (and stomach space) on!

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What to eat Tsukiji Outer Market

Before we dive into our list of what to eat in Tsukiji Outer Market, it’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list of the best foods (there are 400 stalls after all!). Instead, we’re focusing on the specific food items we personally tried and a few that we ran out of stomach space for, but had hoped to visit.

And to make it easier for you to find these spots, we created a Google Map above, which you can save to your phone to reference while at the market. Each item on the map includes what food items to try and other important things to know!

Want to experience the market with a local? Check out this Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour! Over the course of 3 hours you’ll get to try some of the market’s most iconic eats, all while learning a bit about its history. Use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off any tour booked on Tripadvisor!

Turret Coffee

Before heading to Tsukiji Outer Market itself, swing by Turret Coffee for a caffeine boost before tackling the market! This small coffee shop gets its name after Tsukiji Market’s three wheeled trucks, called a turret. And it’s just a couple blocks from the market!

We loved their Turret latte, which is made with a very dark roast and has a deep brown color. It almost looks like hot chocolate! Normally dark roasts aren’t our favorite, but the balance of the strong coffee with the milk was the perfect way to wake up after a busy few days in Tokyo.

Fresh tuna

Tsukiji Outer Market | Foods to try in Japan

With its origins as a fish market, getting fresh fish is a must at Tsukiji Outer Market! And the tuna at Maguroya Kurogin is our top pick. Here you can try various cuts of tuna, which you can watch them slicing right in line. We got a mix of lean, medium fatty, and very fatty and the fatty tuna was like butter!

And speaking of lines, be prepared to wait a bit to order. When we arrived, the queue was full and their “bouncer” had a sign saying to come back in a little bit. So we waited around and got in line once it opened again. One reason it does take a little bit of time is that they do have seating, so after you order, they will seat you at a table or counter to eat. And when it’s busy the seating can really fill up!

Sushi

If you want to try other fish besides tuna, head to Tsukiji Motodane for sushi or sashimi! They offer a wide variety of fish options here and you can get a mix to try it all. It’s located a couple blocks from the main market, tucked down an alley, and is popular with both locals and tourists. The owner only speaks Japanese, although there is an English menu!

Tamagoyaki

One of our favorite foods at Tsukiji Outer Market was tamagoyaki which is a sweet rolled omelet, with eggs, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (Japanese rice wine). It sort of tastes like french toast, but without the bread. And Tsukiji Yamacho is the best spot to try it!

The tamagoyaki is made fresh here and you can watch them making it while in line. It’s very mesmerizing to see the process! They have a couple different types you can order, we suggest getting their original one. It’s only ¥200, which is about $1.25!

Gyudon

For the beef lovers, pop over to Kitsuneya for their gyudon bowls! This is a rice bowl with beef that is simmered in a sauce with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. And it’s typically served with shichimi togarashi, a spice blend, to add on top. It’s a simple dish with the perfect mix of slightly sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.

If you don’t have enough stomach space to try this at Tsukiji Outer Market, you can find this dish all over Tokyo at a handful of gyudon chains, like Sukiya, Matsuya, and Yoshinoya. We loved the gyudon at Sukiya. And the premade version at 7-Eleven was good too!

Feeling more adventurous? Try their mostuni bowl, which is made with organ meat.

Matcha & hojicha

When in Japan, you must enjoy green tea. And Matcha Stand Maruni TOKYO TSUKIJI is a great spot to get a matcha latte. But we also highly recommend trying their hojicha latte, which is made with roasted green tea and has a nuttier flavor than matcha. It is our personal favorite of the two!

Wagyu beef

*They saw our camera and let Adam grill a few skewers!*

Japan is famous for its wagyu, which is beef from the four breeds of Japanese cattle. It’s known for having a large amount of marbling, which gives it a smooth, melt in your mouth texture. Plus a very high price tag!

You can find wagyu stands all over Tsukiji Outer Market, but not all are created equal. Some serve lower quality beef, for the same high price. But we had a positive experience at Tsukiji Ihachi honten/ A5 Wagyu Steak. We got their A5 Wagyu skewers, which is the highest possible grade, and it was a life changing bite of beef!

Grilled tuna skewers

For those who prefer their fish cooked, head to Tonboya for grilled tuna skewers. These skewers are flame grilled right in front of you, which adds to the experience. While we didn’t personally try these, we had something similar at Toyo in Osaka and it was one of our favorite bites of fish during our Japan trip.

Taiyaki

Taiyaki is one of our favorite Japanese treats. This is a cake shaped like a fish, with filling inside. These fillings can range from red bean paste to custard to chocolate. The taiyaki at Tsukiji Sanokiya was piping hot and delicious, plus shaped like a tuna, the market’s iconic fish!

Daifuku

Another sweet treat we loved in Japan was daifuku. This is mochi filled with sweet red bean paste and topped with a strawberry. The mix of the slightly savory red bean paste, plus the juiciness of the strawberry is perfect. They also have other strawberry treats that you can try, like strawberry ice cream!

Tips for visiting Tsukiji Outer Market

Arrive early

Being one of the top things to do in Tokyo, Tsukiji Outer Market can get very busy. We suggest arriving early, around 8 AM, to enjoy the market with less people. Many stands start opening around this time and we would prioritize the most popular ones first (like Maguroya Kurogin!) to avoid waiting in too long of a line.

Bring cash

While businesses in Tokyo accept credit cards and even IC cards (like Suica and PASMO), quite a few stands at Tsukiji Outer Market are cash only. So make sure to have plenty on you! We often would just go to the ATMs at the different konbinis, like 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart.

Want to avoid ATM fees? We have a Charles Schwab checking account specifically for international travel. They refund ATM fees from ANY ATM worldwide! This gave us lots of freedom to use whichever ATM was most convenient.

When we could use a credit card in Tokyo, we used one of our travel credit cards to earn points and miles for future trips. Curious which ones we use? Learn more about our favorite travel credit cards.

Do not eat while walking

It’s considered rude to eat and walk in Japan. So if a stand at Tsukiji Outer Market does not have a spot to sit, stand outside of it to eat before continuing to walk. Make sure to not stand in front of stalls that you did not purchase the food item from. And obey all signs that state to not stand in a specific spot!

Take your trash with you

Public trash cans (such as on the sidewalks, in parks, etc) are not common in Japan. You are expected to take your trash with you and dispose of it at home or at your hotel. So please do not litter!

At Tsukiji Outer Market, most stands will have their own trash cans you can use before heading to the next stop. But if you forget to throw it away, make sure to take it with you and dispose of it at your hotel later. We suggest using an empty konbini bag as trash bags for the times you may need to carry trash in your backpack all day.

Carry a reusable water bottle

With all of the eating, you will get thirsty! To avoid constantly buying plastic water bottles, bring a reusable water bottle. The tap water in Japan is safe to drink!