My Experience Having Sushi for Breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market

This is a detailed guide on what to expect for your Tsukiji Fish Market sushi breakfast for first time visitors. It lists what sushi dishes will be served, the best sushi breakfast restaurants, how much it costs, when is the best time to visit. 

In October 2018 the Tusikiji Fish Market was located in Tsukiji,  in central Tokyo between the Sumida River  and the upmarket Ginza shopping district.

However the market has since been moved to the Toyosu Fish Market, only 1.5 miles from the historical Tsukiji Market.

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Near Shijomae Station, on the Yurikamome Line, in Tokyo’s Koto Ward. Address: 6 Chome-3 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0061, Japan. This one of the main reasons why I wanted to see the tuna auction and have sushi breakfast at Tuskiji Fish Market.

Because I had read that the market was going be moved to a new location and I wanted to experience this unique activity in Tokyo before it was gone.

I included some details about Toyosu Fish Market at the end of this post and yes you can still witness the tuna auction at Toyosu market. But it is slightly different now.

Only the inner markets of the Tusikiji Fish Market was moved to Toyosu market, so you can still visit the outer markets of the Tusikiji market.

The Tsukiji Fish Market breakfast is a dining experience you’ll never forget

After witnessing the famous tuna auction at the Tsukiji fish market. I knew there was one more thing I wanted to try while there, and that was to have sushi for breakfast at Tsukiji fish market.

I had heard so much about this incredible experience, that I could not leave without trying it—after all, who knows when I’ll be visiting Japan again?

I had only one worry on my mind, and that was ‘would I get sick from eating raw fish at 5:30 am in the morning’? The answer was, luckily, no!

I was told that having this Tokyo fish market breakfast was one of the top thing to do there, so you know I had to try it.

Popular Sushi Breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market Sushi Restaurant

The sushi breakfast restaurants are found in the outer markets of Tsukiji fish market. The two most popular breakfast spots are Sushi Dia and Daiwa Sushi to have breakfast in Tsukiji.

Even though Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dia are said to be the best sushi places for sushi breakfast at Tsukiji fish market.

I think the same quality of sushi could be had at the other restaurants in the market as they all serve the same quality fresh fish from the Tsukiji fish market.

So, don’t be disappointed if you’re not able to visit either of these restaurants. As you still might be eating some of the best sushi in Tsukiji fish market.

My Experience Having Sushi for Breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market

By the time, I had finished the tuna auction at around 5:40 am in the morning, people were already lining up to enter Sushi Dai, some people where there from 2:30 am, with a waiting time of three hours!

Now, I am a ‘you only live once’ kinda girl, that likes to experience new things, but a three-hour wait on an empty belly in the rain was not one of them.

So, I went next door to Daiwa Sushi, which had a shorter line, due to the fact that they had a ‘bouncer’ type guy there.

The guy closed off the line just as I joined it and asked a group of three people to come back in hours. This is a way for the sushi restaurant to stop the line from getting too long and blocking the restaurants next door.

I waited for 45 minutes with my face pressed against the glass window, looking like a salivating cat as I watched others eating their sushi with big cheesy grins on their faces.

All I could think about was, what was I going to get?

Daiwa Sushi is small, with seating for maybe 10 people max at the counter at any one time.

The menu is set and omakase (a Japanese phrase meaning, “I’ll leave it to you”) or simply put, a type of meal consisting of dishes selected by the chef.

I got the chef’s choice, and for good reason, as you get a bowl of miso soup, green tea and 10 pieces of sushi.

The sushi is served in quick succession, starting with Japanese omelette and sea urchin, shrimp tuna maki roll, salmon, fatty tuna and shrimp sashimi, yellow-tail and eel, mackerel, and some other dishes that I didn’t take note of, as I was too busy wolfing them down.

One thing I will say as a fish lover, and as someone who grew up by the sea, was that I could taste the freshness of each piece of fish, especially the tuna, which was so soft that it melted in my mouth, making me wish that there was more on my plate.

The chef advised everyone when and how to properly dip their sushi in soy sauce.

But in all honesty, there was no need for soy sauce as each piece of fish had its own distinctive flavour, which needed no accompaniment. I left the sushi breakfast very satisfied and contented after my experience.

The entire sushi breakfast experience from getting my miso soup to paying the bill took around 25 to 30 minutes.

So, if you like to sit and have your breakfast over a longer period this might not be the place for you to try sushi for breakfast.

I had the chefs choose, which worked out at £45 (cash only). For many, £45 could be steep, but for me, I think it was worth it, for the freshness of the fish and the experience. Most places in the Tsukiji market are cash only.

This was one of the highlights of my trip to Japan; I would highly recommend visiting the Tsukiji fish market and having sushi for breakfast, as you will never experience such melt-in-your-mouth sushi in your life again.

I am now a sushi snob and can no longer buy pre-made sushi …… my days at Wasabi are over!

If you want more tips on visiting the Tsukiji fish market guide, read my post on” 7 things to know before visiting the Tsukiji fish market”.

Daiwa Sushi Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Market Part 6 Bldg. 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Frequently asked questions:

  1. Best sushi at Tsukiji fish market?

  2. Best time to visit Tuskiji fish market?

  3. Where is Tsukiji market? The market The market was located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo between the Sumida River and the upmarket Ginza shopping district. However the market has since been moved to the Toyosu Market (since October 2018), only 1.5 miles from the historical Tsukiji Market. Near Shijomae Station, on the Yurikamome Line, in Tokyo’s Koto Ward. Address: 6 Chome-3 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0061, Japan. The inner market of the Tuskiji Fish market has been moved to Toyosu Market, however you can still viist the outer market of the Tsukiji Fish Market.

  4. How much is it to get into Toyosu Market? Entrance to the Toyosu Market is free and the market is opened from 5am to 5pm.

  5. Can I see view the tuna auction at Toyosu? Yes you can still observe the tuna auction at Toyosu, but instead of being on the floor with the tuna as in Tsukiji. You will be behind glass windows in an observation room at the Toyosu Fish Market.

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7 Comments

  1. Wow you are one of the brave ones who attended the tuna auction! When I first read about it I was stunned by how willing people are to experience such a thing. I guess I would want that myself, but the idea of staying up all night doesn’t appeal to me that much 😀 Also the price of the sushi is high indeed, but I can well imagine how worth it was. Might as well be the best sushi experience in a lifetime!

  2. I’d definitely go and have sushi for breakfast! Though it’s absolutely incredible that some people line up at 2:30 am in order to get into some of these restaurants! Overall, your whole trip to the fish market sounds like an incredible experience. I’m currently going through major sushi withdrawal, because the tiny town in Sweden I’m living in doesn’t really make or sell any! Living vicariously through your photos.

  3. Tsukiji was one of my favourite meals and experiences in Tokyo! I had a bowl of sushi at a place called Kaisendon Oedo which was incredible (melt in your mouth tuna among others) and only 1800 yen! After that I went to all the stalls and had way too much tasty food. Man, I wish I could go back like tomorrow.

  4. I can’t imagine having sushi for breakfast, but then again I don’t even like it! Haha! Looks like a fun experience, though!

  5. Excuse me as I wipe all the drool off my keyboard – omg! Japanese food is my favourite thing in the whole world (and the thing I miss most now that I’m living in Germany). Thanks for transporting me to Japan through this lovely post (even though I will now be hungry forever lol). Saving this for the future. can’t wait to visit japan myself one day!

  6. In 2010, I went to Sushi Dai at around 6am and only had to wait about 45 min for breakfast. The cost was about the same and the meal was delicious! My friend went late last year and had to wait for hours! But the meal was still delicious so I think it was still worth it. Eating the freshest sushi like that is a once in a lifetime experience. And since typically people go right when they get to Tokyo (at least we did), you’re so jetlagged you have no idea what time it is!

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