Toyosu Tuna Auction (2026): How to Win the Observation Deck Lottery, or Watch for Free

Can tourists still see the tuna auction?

Yes. The auction runs from around 5:30 to 6:30 on market days, and the market has built viewing into the building.

When does the lottery open?

Each month's lottery runs for about a week, early in the month before your visit. It's random, not first come, first served.

All times are Japan time. In London, the December window closes at 14:59 on Nov 10. In New York, at 09:59.

How to apply, step by step

1. Open the lottery site in English. The site is toyosu.jcdlotterysite.jp, and it has an English version (the official link at the end of this page opens it).
2. Read the notes and enter your email. You'll get a registration email with a link to continue. The site asks you to use only one browser window or tab.
3. Fill in the form. Enter the required details for the lead applicant and for up to 4 companions of any age, babies included, then check them on the confirmation screen. Only the people in the entry may attend. The lead applicant must be junior-high age or older.
4. Pick up to three dates. If you win, you get one of them. To change your entry, email info@jcdlotterysite.jp before the application period ends: the details on file at the deadline go into the draw.
5. Check your email on results day. The result comes from noreply@jcdlotterysite.jp and can't be resent. Add that address to your contacts, check your spam folder, and don't delete the email.

On the day: what to bring and where to go

1. Be at the PR Corner by 5:30. 3rd floor, Block 7 Administration Building. From Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line, take the walkway into the building's 3rd floor and go right. Late arrivals can't join.
2. Show the winning email and photo ID for everyone. Passport, driving licence or student card, on screen or on paper for the email. Children of elementary-school age or younger without photo ID can show a health insurance card. Anyone whose identity can't be checked can't watch.
3. Watch from the deck. Photos are allowed, flash isn't.

What the official pages said on 7 November 2026

Didn't win? Watching from the second floor

Anyone can watch the tuna floor through the second-floor windows of the Fisheries Wholesale Market Building, with no booking and no limit on numbers. Visitor areas open at 5:00 and close at 17:00. You see the auction floor from above, through glass.

Check the market calendar before you set an alarm. Besides Sundays and holidays, the market closes on some other days: in late 2026, Wednesday Nov 11 and 18, Wednesday Dec 2, 9, 16 and 23, and Thursday Dec 31.

Is a guided tour worth it?

Not for the viewing itself: it's free and needs no guide. A tour earns its price if you want the bidding explained, help getting there early, and breakfast at Tsukiji afterwards.

Getting there before 5:30

The market is next to Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line (the lottery notice allows 5 minutes on foot to the PR Corner), or about 20 minutes on foot from Toyosu Station on the Yurakucho subway line. Toei bus 市01 runs from Shimbashi: get off at Shijo-mae Ekimae and use the pedestrian deck. There's no visitor parking. Before you rely on a train, check that the first one on your day arrives in time for 5:30; if not, take a taxi. An IC card such as Suica works on the trains and buses. Is a subway pass worth it? →