Tsukiji Fish Market Weather, Month by Month
The lanes are open to the sky at both ends and the queues are outdoors. The month you come changes how long you last, and it changes what is in the cases. This page is the climate; which day and which hour is a different question.
What the weather does to a morning here
Three things, in order of how much they matter.
Standing time. A market morning is three hours on your feet, mostly outdoors, with ice underfoot. In August that is hard work by ten. In November it is nothing at all.
The queues. The well-known counters queue outside. Shelter is a roof, not a wall, and there is nowhere to sit while you wait.
What is on the counter. This is a market, not a museum. What is displayed changes with the season, and the difference between a January case and a July one is real.
Tsukiji month by month
Temperatures are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for Tokyo. Seasonal seafood is what the trade generally puts out; a market is not a timetable.
January
9.8°C by day, 1.2°C at night, and 60mm of rain across the month. The driest weeks of the year. Cold in the lanes, because the covered rows are open at both ends and the ice is everywhere. This is peak season for winter yellowtail, oysters, snow crab and monkfish. Wear a coat you can eat in.
February
10.9°C by day, 2.1°C at night, 57mm of rain. The coldest mornings of the year fall here. Crowds thin out and the queues are short. Fugu, cod and oysters are still at their best. Gloves come off and on all morning.
March
14.2°C by day, 5.0°C at night, and rain doubles to 116mm. The market gets comfortable to stand in again. Clams, firefly squid and sakura shrimp arrive. Blossom brings the first crowds of the year to Tokyo, though not especially to these lanes.
April
19.4°C by day, 9.8°C at night, 134mm of rain. The best walking weather of the year, and everybody knows it. Book two to four days ahead. The first bonito of the season appears, which Tokyo has made a fuss about for three hundred years.
May
23.6°C by day, 14.6°C at night, 140mm of rain. Warm without being difficult. Sea urchin starts appearing in quantity. Golden Week in the first days of the month brings a domestic crowd; the rest of May is straightforward.
June
26.1°C by day, 18.5°C at night, and 168mm of rain. The rainy season, tsuyu, runs through most of it. Rain is steady rather than heavy and the main lane is roofed. Floors get slick. Fewer visitors, and the same fish.
July
29.9°C by day, 22.4°C at night, 156mm of rain. Humid from the moment you step out. Come at nine or do not come. Eel is the July fish, eaten to survive the heat. Carry water; the market sells it everywhere.
August
31.3°C by day, 23.5°C at night, 155mm of rain. The hottest month, and one operator warns its guests about 40°C days in its own listing. Come at nine and August is manageable; by noon the queues stand in full sun. Abalone and sea urchin are at their peak.
September
27.5°C by day, 20.3°C at night, and the wettest month at 225mm. Typhoon season. A storm closes nothing but empties the lanes. Pacific saury arrives, though catches have been poor for several years running.
October
22.0°C by day, 14.8°C at night, 235mm of rain, most of it in a few days. Between the storms this is the second-best month of the year to walk here. Mackerel, salmon roe and the returning bonito fill the cases.
November
16.7°C by day, 8.8°C at night, and rain drops to 96mm. Cool, clear and quiet. Oysters come back and yellowtail starts to fatten. Nothing about the market is difficult in November, which is why it is the month to pick if you can choose.
December
12.0°C by day, 3.8°C at night, 58mm of rain. Cold and dry. The last four days of the month are the busiest of the year as Tokyo buys for New Year, and prices for the prestige cuts rise with the crowds. The market then shuts for the best part of a week.
The seasons, and which one you want
Tsukiji by season
| Season | Weather | In the cases | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter, December to February | 1–12°C, dry | Yellowtail, oysters, crab, fugu, cod | The best eating of the year, and the coldest standing |
| Spring, March to May | 5–24°C, rising rain | Clams, firefly squid, first bonito, sea urchin | The most comfortable months, and the busiest |
| Summer, June to August | 18–31°C, humid | Eel, abalone, sea urchin at its peak | Come at nine or not at all |
| Autumn, September to November | 9–28°C, wettest then driest | Saury, mackerel, salmon roe, returning bonito | October and November are the quiet reward |
Best time of day
Nine in the morning, in every month. In summer it is the only bearable hour. In winter it is when the sun finally reaches the lanes. In spring and autumn it is when the buyers have gone and the queues have not started.
The one seasonal exception is August, when eight is better than nine if you can face it, and noon is not worth attempting.
Frequently asked questions
Does rain close the Tsukiji Fish Market?
No. The main lane is roofed and so are many of the side rows, and every guided walk here runs in the rain. The floors get slippery and the crowds thin. Wear shoes with some grip.
What is the best month to visit Tsukiji?
November, then April. Both are dry, mild and comfortable to stand in for three hours. November is quieter of the two.
How hot does it get at Tsukiji in summer?
August averages 31.3°C by day and one operator warns its guests about 40°C days in its own listing. Come at nine and be finished by eleven. Humidity is the harder half.
Do typhoons affect a visit?
September and October carry the risk. A typhoon rarely closes the market but it does empty it, and transport across Tokyo can stop for a few hours. Every walk here refunds in full at twenty-four hours' notice.
Is the market cold in winter?
Yes, colder than the air temperature suggests. The rows are open at both ends and there is crushed ice on every counter. January mornings sit around 1°C before dawn and reach about 10°C by lunchtime.
Book a morning in the month that suits you
Guided walks run every trading morning of the year, in the rain and in the heat. All of them refund in full at twenty-four hours' notice.
The calendar page covers which day and which hour, visitor information has the market's own rules, and Tsukiji Fish Market Tours compares every walk. A Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market tour runs whatever the forecast does.
- Japan Meteorological Agency climate normals for Tokyo, 1991–2020
- The operators' own listings, for the heat and cold warnings quoted above
- Tsukiji Outer Market official site
Normals are thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Check the forecast before you travel.