Tsukijiya — Restaurant in Tokyo

If there’s a living street theater in Tsukiji, it has to be the storefront of Tsukiji-ya. At the entrance stands a tall, overly familiar middle-aged man, paired with an elderly gentleman so bent with age he seems to defy physics. Together, they perform something that feels less like running a sushi shop and more like hosting an open-air variety show.

“Hello!” “Ni hao!” “Okay, cheap sushi!” —A storm of broken multilingual greetings sweeps through the crowd, pulling in tourists one after another. It’s a sight to behold: human-sized traps disguised as hospitality. For a brief moment, Tsukiji’s food culture transforms into pure entertainment.

Approach them, and you’ll be greeted with a smile—but stopping there takes a certain bravery. Their solicitation is almost an art form; stepping inside, however, is an entirely different experience. As an observer, I keep my distance and award them five stars—not for taste, but for performance value.

If you want genuine sushi in Tsukiji, I recommend Aya Sushi—reasonably priced, with a proper sense of Japanese pride. Still, Tsukiji is always crowded. Once you’ve done your sightseeing, the wiser move is to book a seat in Ginza and enjoy sushi in peace.

—In the end, Tsukiji-ya isn’t a place to eat; it’s a lesson. A place to train your sense of distance and observation—the Tsukiji way. And as I watch from afar, I can’t help but smile and whisper softly, “Thank you for the meal…...

I had a really good lunch here. If you're a visiting American/westerner - read on!

Everywhere in Tsukiji tends to be busy as hell, at least the couple times I've been there. I stumbled upon Tsukiji-ya and there wasn't a long line or wait so I popped in.

The #1 set course lunch is what I've included in pictures, and at present exchange rates (late '22, early '23) you're getting all of that for the equivalent of like $20 US. That's a killer deal relative to what I'm used to paying in the US and especially for the quality. If you're accustomed to getting nigiri in the US this will blow most places out of the water. If this existed in my neighborhood at home I'd give it 6 stars and be there every week.

With that said it's hard to gauge what this should be relative to other places in Tsukiji. I think you'd have great food just about anywhere; it's not like Tsukiji-ya is the spot ya gotta check out. Relative to the other places around it might just be average. I can't put myself in the shoes of a local though, so for me as a visitor - I thought it was really good. I'd go back, but I'd also check out...

It's a small shop, and it felt that way. We were sushi hunting and this shop was in a quieter part of Tsujiki market. The common rule of thumb is, if there aren't many patrons, the food can't be good.

But we gave it a whirl, and boy were we shocked to the core at how good the sushi and sashimi was. All the food - all of it - was the freshest we have ever tasted, with the food melting in your mouths, the flavours so rich and vibrant you immediately felt alive just eating the food.

My friends, the cuttlefish and the squid was just mind-blowing. The tuna and tuna belly was so melt-in-your-mouth good we ordered more. What was intended to be a "tasting session" turned into a feast.

And we felt a little bad. They were providing a JPY1000 discount, but frankly, I felt we should have paid more - it was that good. And the annoying thing is, given how the shop is located at the edges of Tsujiki market, it probably doesn't get the exposure it deserves.

But don't fooled. You will find it difficult to...