From Edo to Toyosu

Four Centuries of Tokyo’s Seafood Tradition

More Than a Market — A Tradition of Discernment

Long before Tokyo had its modern name, it was known as Edo.

During the Edo period, fishermen brought their daily catch from Tokyo Bay to Nihonbashi Uogashi, the city’s original fish market. Seafood was traded at dawn, then carried throughout the city by merchants who understood that freshness alone was not enough. Quality depended on the season, origin, handling, and the experienced eye of the buyer.

After the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, the market eventually moved to Tsukiji, opening in 1935. For more than 80 years, Tsukiji became the heart of Japan’s seafood trade and earned worldwide recognition for its energy, expertise, and uncompromising standards.

In 2018, the wholesale market moved once again—this time to Toyosu.

A New Market, the Same Pursuit of Quality

Toyosu was designed for a new generation of seafood distribution, with carefully controlled environments, modern sanitation standards, and facilities built to protect product quality throughout the market.

Yet the most important part of the market has never changed: the people.

Every morning, experienced buyers evaluate seafood through mekiki—the practiced ability to recognize quality through subtle details. Species, season, fishing region, fat content, color, texture, condition, and even the day’s weather can influence what is worth selecting.

The best choice is not always the largest fish, the highest grade, or the most expensive lot. It is the product that is at its best that particular day.

Quality Lives in the Details

At Minato Market, we carry this philosophy from Toyosu to the San Francisco Bay Area.

For us, “sourced from Japan” is only the beginning. What matters is everything that happens before the seafood reaches your table:

Where it was caught.
When it is in season.
How it was selected.
How it was handled and packed.
How quickly and carefully it was transported.

We work closely with our partners in Japan to source seafood based on its condition and quality—not simply its availability. From seasonal whole fish and bluefin tuna to uni, scallops, shellfish, and other specialties, every selection is made with attention to the details that shape the final experience.

From Toyosu Market to Your Table

Toyosu represents centuries of knowledge carried forward through constant refinement. Minato Market’s role is to preserve that care across the distance—from the early-morning market in Tokyo to your table in the Bay Area.

Because exceptional seafood is never the result of one decision.

It is the result of getting every detail right.