This is an invitation to a tasty and lively food experience at the No. 1 market, Tsukiji. The place is a treasure trove of delicious seafood, so let's sample some of the ’catch of the day’, sold fresh or skewered and grilled at the store front!
At your central Tokyo hotel or at any station convenient for you in central Tokyo
Pick up / meet up
Tsukiji market stands at the pinnacle of seafood supply for the Tokyoites, with the supreme quality and diversity of goods sold. It has a reason: Tsukiji was the world's No.1 fish and vegetables market until 2018, when its wholesale section was moved to Toyosu. The retail section and a part of the wholesalers remained in Tsukiji, and the place is bustling with ordinary customers and professionals as before. Ideal place to have sushi or sashimi!
We cannot end this tour without a visit to Namiyoke Shrine, which has been the guardian shrine of Tsukiji for more than 350 years ever since the land around this place was reclaimed from Tokyo Bay. The strong ties between the shrine and the market are well reflected in the peculiar monuments that are found in the shrine precincts.
After the visit to Namiyoke Shrine, you have several options:
①stay a little longer in Tsukiji for shopping/lunch. I will show you some good shops/restaurants. (Please note that lunch is NOT included in the itinerary, so once you are happily settled, that will be the end of the tour.)
②head to a nearby tourist spot, such as Ginza or Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple. Ginza is Tokyo's most expensive and elegant shopping district just two stations away from Tsukiji. If you would like to find a very special souvenir, this might be the place to look for. Instead of Ginza, we can visit Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, a Buddhist temple located just across from the Tsukiji market. The architectural style of the Main Hall is very unique, having an ancient Indian style exterior and a traditional Japanese style interior, with a touch of Western influence.
End of the tour
At the place of last visit or at a pre-arranged place
Tsukiji market stands at the pinnacle of seafood supply for the Tokyoites, with the supreme quality and diversity of goods sold. It has a reason: Tsukiji was the world's No.1 fish and vegetables market until 2018, when its wholesale section was moved to Toyosu. The retail section and a part of the wholesalers remained in Tsukiji, and the place is bustling with ordinary customers and professionals as before. The shelves are packed with seasonal goods of superior quality that cannot be found elsewhere, and sampling them would be a good introduction to understanding our rich food culture.
Namiyoke Shrine has been the guardian shrine of Tsukiji for more than 350 years, ever since the land around this place was reclaimed from Tokyo Bay. The strong ties between the shrine and the market are well reflected in the peculiar monuments that are found in the shrine precincts.
After the visit to Namiyoke Shrine, you have several options:
①If you prefer to stay in Tsukiji for shopping or lunch, I will show you some good shops/restaurants. There are many sushi shops in Tsukiji, but simply buying a box of sushi at the market, you can have an equally good lunch at the rooftop space with a great view --- and on certain days they provide rooftop BBQ, too! (Please note that lunch is NOT included in the itinerary, so once you are happily settled, that will be the end of the tour.)
②If you prefer to head to a nearby tourist spot, we can visit either of the followings:
・Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple is located just across from Tsukiji market. The architectural style of the Main Hall is very unique, having an ancient Indian style exterior and a traditional Japanese Buddhist temple style interior, with a touch of Western influence. The temple is decorated with many animal carvings, including imaginary animals, and it is fun just looking for them.
・Two stations from Tsukiji is Ginza, Tokyo's most polished neighborhood with luxury stores. Long-established high-end stores from both home and abroad line the main street. If you would like to find a very special souvenir, this might be the place to look for. Shopping is not the only thing you can enjoy here - the backstreet alleys of Ginza sometimes take you to an unexpected place, so let's find out what is hidden behind the ultra-modern buildings!
guide fee
hotel pick-up within central Tokyo area
transportation fee of you and guide: about ¥1,000 / person
food and drink cost
*Please note that in case of extension of the tour, the following will be added:
extra hour cost: ¥6600 per hour / group
・I am basically available from Thursday through Sunday. As for Monday through Wednesday, please contact me for availability.
・Some of the experiences/visits require prior reservation. Please send a direct message to me before booking a tour.
・Tsukiji Market is closed on Sundays, most Wednesdays and on National Holidays. This TOUR WILL NOT BE HELD ON MARKET HOLIDAYS. Please contact the guide for holiday information.
・Many shops in Tsukiji do not accept credit cards, so please bring cash.
・Please note that lunch is NOT included in the itinerary.
・Please inform the guide in advance of any FOOD RESTRICTIONS.
I had no doubt we would have a great tour with Keiko. I enjoyed the fact we could personalise the tour according to our requests, ending it a watching a beatiful demonstration of bean desserts made by hand in front of us. Lunch was delicious, despite being in a very touristy area. I definitely recommend Keiko for more tours.
Lorenzo-san, thank you very much for your wonderful comments! Being a foodie, I felt the tour with your 'chef group' really challenging and rewarding. I really enjoyed not only walking with you on the tour day, but also in the planning process trying to figure out how best you can savour our food capital, Tokyo. The pleasure was mine, so please convey my gratitude to everyone in the party.
Keiko is an excellent tour guide. Her English language skills are perfect! She is knowledgeable, flexible, intelligent and friendly. We highly recommend Keiko.
Thank you very much, Dorit-san, for your nice comments. I hope I did not tire you too much on your first day in Japan. You may have noticed that Japanese culture is quite different from yours. It is my pleasure if I could be of any help to you in filling that gap. Please continue enjoying Japan!
Whether you have half a day in Tokyo or plan to move to Tokyo, Keiko is an amazing introduction to Japan! Our taste buds loved roaming through Tsukiji Market. We joined the human tsunami at Shibuya crossing. Our children loved the story of Hachiko and took several photos with his statue. Meijijingu Shrine will forever live within all of us. But the true treasure is Keiko-san. She is the one of the best guides that we have ever had - and her English is excellent!
Kerrilyn-san, thank you very much for your wonderful review! Tokyo is a dynamic city with both old and new elements everywhere, and also a very tasty city. Being a foodie, I love introducing what I find truly tasty to my guests, and if you find it good, too, that will make me happy. In the first several days in Japan, you already came across earthquake alerts and typhoon alerts, so by the time you leave here, you will become experts of Japan. Please enjoy your stay, and if you have a chance, please come back again!
Keiko-san is an extraordinary tour guide! We are a family of six, including two young children and a grandmother in her eighties. Keiko-san ensured that our tour included special and intriguing moments for everyone. In particular, she is extremely prepared, organized, conscientious, knowledgeable, accommodating and caring. Her expertise about the sights we visited and her passion for sharing Japanese culture are remarkable. From sacred temples to shaved ice, she is the best introduction to Japan that we could have hoped for... She even provided essential information about where to get groceries and how to navigate the transportation system. Last but not least, when we parted, our children hugged her. Thank you for a wonderful experience, Keiko-san!
Kerrilyn-san, thank you very much for your wonderful comments! I loved talking and walking with your charming family, especially because you were all so engaging! Being a guide, the places I visit with my guests tend to be those popular tourist spots. But this time, thanks to your special request, I had the pleasure of being able to explore the places totally non-touristic, and to find a very nostalgic yet vibrant retro Showa style shopping street still thriving in the outskirts of Tokyo. The pleasure was mine, because you did actually help me expand my knowledge, and I am indeed thankful to you for appointing me as your guide. Please convey my best wishes to everyone!