Tsukiji Market Golden Week 2024

Hi guys, I was checking the opening hours of Tsukiji Market and saw that it mention on their website they usually close every Wednesday as well as public holiday.

So my qn now, is that if anyone knows whether the shops will be opened on 2 May 2024?

Since 2/May is a Thursday and not an actual public holiday itself (though in the middle of many holidays, so it feels like shops might just close the entire week to me).

Thank you!

My dates are set so 2/May looks like the only possibility, I just want to make sure, to avoid wasted trip...

You are answering the question yourself. It�fs a Thursday and not a public holiday. So why should it be closed?

Btw, I passed through there today and thought it was a total tourist trap.

Ok thanks, I justvwant to go see see, but I felt it *might* be close since 2/May is in-between holidays, both before and after. So suspect some shops might just decide to close the entire week?

@Likebike - its a run-down tourist trap and been like that for years. Very average food from chain stores and a few others selling stuff on the edge of the old market before it moved. I certainly wouldn't go there to eat and better places for food markets.
The Tokyo Government is partly responsible - promoting it as a destination when the wholesale sellers detested the tourists.

I actually was at the new Toyosu market yesterday. Not really sure if people refer to it as Tsukiji or Toyosu now. Sorry.

Anyway that place is a tourist trap, but isn�ft run down. On the contrary it was opened very recently (must have been in the past few months). What was nice was the foot bath on the 8th floor of the newly opened onsen which has a nice view towards Tokyo.

Through the Tsukiji area of the market I passed through some months ago and agree on the run down aspect of it. I passed through at night so don�ft really know what shops there might be.

@JapanCustomTours : "better places for food markets" are you able to help suggest a few such food markets beside Tsukiji in Tokyo? Thanks!

Personally I usually get to eat at Omicho in Kanazawa quite often although I missed out on that yesterday. it is a retail market and has several shops, but the ratings/reviews vary greatly, so watch out for that. One of my favorite sushi restaurants is there.
But I did have a nice sushi meal at the Takishimaya in Shinjuku a week ago (a little expensive, but it was the location - the anago was so tasty I ordered an extra piece, even with an 800 yen +tax price tag - yikes). Another shop I go to occasionally in Shinjuku is pretty average, but the price is good and few queues - no waiting time is a bonus and time is important to me.
One of the shops I am thinking of for lovely sushi/sashimi is in Akasaka. However, the more general point is you do not need to go to a market to get good food. The best restaurants are not at some over-hyped market or other. Nishiki Market in Kyoto (for example) is not a food destination for me. The new Toyosu retail market is trying to create something out of nothing - it might work, but why trek across to a location when the best places in Tokyo actually bypass that wholesale market entirely. They buy diret from the fishing boats while they are still at sea and have the fish delivered to their store within 24 hours.

It's interesting to learn where the locals go for sure! And I totally agree that these markets are hardly the best places for food and probably got better choices elsewhere.

However I think why tourists like me like to go there is probably because it is convenient haha. Like, where else can we find many shop choices gathered together in the same area for easy comparison/choosing with the shop keepers probably have some knowledge/expectations on commutating in English. Only tourist hot spots.

I�fm not sure why JapanCustomTours focused on places where you can go to eat sushi in a restaurant. The Tsukiji Outer Market was always much more than that. I agree that at this point it can quite justifiably be called a tourist trap, but if you can stand the crowds you might possibly find it somewhat interesting. You might like Ameya Yokocho (near Ueno) better. It is also easy to get to and at least the last time I was there it (a few years ago but not all that many) it had a better atmosphere than Tsukiji does these days.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3012.html

I agree that Omicho Market in Kanazawa is a great market. I love to wander around there even if I don�ft eat in any of the restaurants, and I have gotten some good pictures there. (It is a place where you can actually still take pictures, and might want to.) But Kanazawa is a long way from Tokyo.

Nishiki Market in Kyoto used to be fun and atmospheric (in a good sense) but I am afraid that in recent years it has also become a tourist trap, and a major one. But there are still many interesting markets in different cities in Japan, some of them focusing mainly on seafood and some more generally on a range of food items (pickles, for example, and fruits/vegetables) and other merchandise (chopsticks, for example). One of my favorites (Yanagibashi in Nagoya) sadly closed a few years ago. It reminded me of Tsukiji way back in the old days before it became a tourist trap.

Some of the places in Japan (not limited to markets by any means) that are wildly popular with tourists used to be really great, and for good reason, but are no longer great at all (largely because of overtourism). They have gotten reputations as being must-see spots, and once they get on those lists they almost never fall off.

As for places where the locals go, I don�ft think you will find very many locals shopping at either Tsukiji or Nishiki Market these days. They are packed with tourists, and to an increasing degree cater to them.

@Kim - I wasn't focused on it, just answering that if heading to a market for sushi (where you end up eating at a shop), there are other places (stores) I would prefer to go.

Thanks all.

I'll be heading down to Tsukiji on 2/May (hoping most stores do open). It's really more to experience the atmosphere of a market than really for the food (still gonna eat some food there, more for the experience I guess).

Might drop by Toyosu Outer Market area too as it is nearby, but Omicho and Nishiki Market too far lol. I did visit Omicho Market in the past before and the seafood is fresh and yummy. Ameyoko Street is on my itinerary on another day as well, thanks for the rec Kim!

If JapanCustomTour doesn't mind to share, I'm also interested to know which particular lovely sushi/sashimi shop in Akasaka is worth visiting too please. But no obligations. Thanks.

I would love to visit Toyosu Fish Market to see Tuna Auction. Just want to know, in golden week we know it's public holiday to all Japanese and tourists. Is Tuna Auction closed in golden week time on 29th April 2024??