Hours after the tuna auction ends, Toyosu's counters serve the freshest sushi breakfast in Tokyo.
The tuna auction itself is now viewed from behind glass and a lottery ticket, but the real reward for an early alarm is breakfast: a dozen sushi counters tucked into Toyosu Market's upper floor, serving fish that crossed the auction floor a few hours earlier.
Queues form before 6am at the best-known counters, so arrive early and expect to eat elbow-to-elbow at a counter that seats a dozen, watching the chef press each piece of otoro or uni by hand and set it directly on the wood in front of you.
Skip the queue at the famous names and you'll still eat superbly at the market's smaller stalls; either way, order the omakase set rather than à la carte and let the chef read the morning's best catch for you.
