Shopping, hotel complex put up next to Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market in bid for tourism boost

A shopping, spa, and hotel complex recently opened alongside the Toyosu wholesale fish market in Tokyo, Japan, with the complex’s operator and the city government hoping this addition finally begins to attract more tourists to the area.

“I’m confident that Tokyo residents and visitors from in and outside Japan will enjoy our diverse food culture as they savor fresh and high-quality food that only the fish market next door can serve,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in a speech at the opening ceremony. “I hope the inside and the outside together will further energize this neighborhood.”

A recently completed update has mirrored the features of the popular Tsukiji market, closed in 2018, which consisted of an inner market with a wholesale auction area and an outer market containing retail shops and restaurants.

Tsukiji’s inner market was moved to Toyosu, but the outer market remains at Tsukiji and continues to draw tourists, due to its bustling atmosphere and easy access from downtown Tokyo. Toyosu, on the other hand, is located on a man-made island, and visitors must use public transportation to get there.

Before its relocation and demolition, the Tsukiji inner market attracted approximately 42,000 visitors per month. It was renowned for its tuna auctions, making it a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists. Though the Toyosu market also features tuna auctions, it has attracted only around 10,000 visitors per month; the city government is hoping the new complex can help boost those numbers.

The new food and shopping area is designed to resemble a shopping street from the Edo era, which took place from 1603 to 1868 and is known as a time of economic growth and flourishing arts and culture in Japan. It has about 65 restaurants, mostly serving seafood from the adjacent market.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, Japanese officials have invested in experiential attractions like the new Toyosu complex as a means of reinvigorating economic activity related to tourism.

Among several seafood-related initiatives, in 2022, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries kicked off a campaign to attract foreign visitors to rural villages by promoting regions’ local foods. In 2023, a Japanese fishcake company transformed what used to be a simple shop into a budding tourism complex.