- Duration
- About 4 hours, from 5:00 to 9:30 am
- Group size
- 6–40 pax
- Cities
- Tokyo
- Indicative budget
- From ¥55,000 per person
The group leaves the hotel around 5:00 am to reach Toyosu as the tuna auction begins. From the visitor galleries, a guide explains how the auction works, the role of the intermediate wholesalers, how buyers judge the quality of a tuna and how fish travels from the market to Tokyo's restaurant counters. The visit continues through the market buildings, past the trading areas and the kitchen tool shops, with an interpreter for questions.
Around 7:30 am, the group moves to a private kitchen nearby. An experienced sushi chef shows how he selects and slices fish bought that morning, seasons the rice and shapes a nigiri. Each participant then makes their own pieces, and the group eats everything together with miso soup and tea. The group is back at the hotel around 9:30 am.
For a meeting program, this format has a practical advantage: it uses a time slot where nothing else is scheduled and leaves the working day intact. It also offers a concrete view of the Japanese economy, from tightly run logistics to the focus on freshness and long-term trust between buyers and suppliers. It gives participants plenty to talk about for the rest of the program.
Objectives
- Understand a Japanese supply chain end to end, from auction to plate
- Offer a premium activity without cutting into working sessions
- Create a shared moment in small groups around the chef's counter
How it works
- 1Hotel departure around 5:00 am by minibus or coach, with a guide and an interpreter.
- 2Tuna auction viewed from the visitor galleries, with the guide's commentary.
- 3Walk through the market buildings in sub-groups of 10 to 15.
- 4Sushi session in a private kitchen: chef's demonstration, then each participant makes nigiri.
- 5Meal with miso soup and tea, back at the hotel around 9:30 am.
Good to know
- The market is closed on Sundays, public holidays and some Wednesdays; we check the calendar before confirming a date.
- The auction is viewed through glass; access to the lower observation deck is by lottery and cannot be guaranteed.
- Closed, flat shoes recommended; avoid large bags and flash photography.
- Allergies and dietary needs must reach us at least two weeks ahead; cooked or vegetable toppings are available.
- Above 15 people, the group is split between several guides and two sushi sessions, run in parallel or in rotation.
- Pick-up available from hotels in Ginza, Marunouchi, Shinjuku or Shibuya; allow 15 to 30 minutes' drive at dawn.
Indicative budget
From ¥55,000 per person (guided visit and private sushi session, small-group basis). Tiered group rates on request depending on headcount; interpreter and transfers optional.
Frequently asked questions
Do we really need to leave at 5:00 am?
To see the tuna auction, yes: it takes place early and ends around 6:30 am. If the group prefers a gentler start, we can run a market visit around 8:00 am without the auction, followed by the sushi session late in the morning.
How is this different from your sushi and washoku workshop?
Here, the focus is the market and the chef's work with that morning's fish, in a small setting. The sushi and washoku workshop is a kitchen-based team building format that suits large groups at any time of day.
How many participants can join?
From 6 to 40 people. Above 15, we form sub-groups with one guide each and run two sushi sessions, either in parallel or one after the other.
What if a participant does not eat raw fish?
The chef prepares cooked toppings (shrimp, eel, omelet) or vegetable options. Just let us know at registration, along with shellfish allergies or pregnancies.
