10 Best Markets in Tokyo

Hosted every weekend outside the United Nations University in Shibuya, the UNU Farmers’ Market showcases a delectable selection of organic produce and homemade fare. You can also peruse a fine selection of botanical products like indoor potted plants and flower arrangements.

When you're not shopping lime green goya, a vegetable that's native to Okinawa, or picking up jars of luxurious local honey, swing by the market's food trucks for a hearty homemade lunch. On any given weekend you'll find Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisine, including cheesy pizzas cooked in a rustic brick oven.

Featuring hundreds of vendors on weekends, Oi Racecourse Tokyo City Flea Market takes place in the car park of Tokyo City Keiba, one of the city’s most iconic horse tracks. While the market is famed for its vast collection of pre-loved clothes, it's also a treasure trove of hidden collectables spanning antiques, fossils and hand-painted ceramics.

Come early and join the bargain hunters as they rummage through piles of vintage apparel cast arranged on plastic tarps. Haggling is encouraged, so feel free to do so. And make sure you check the forecast as the market can get cancelled if the weather is bad.

Shibuya Antique Market is held every second and fourth Sunday of the month outside Shibuya Garden Tower, a handsome glass skyscraper that’s 5-minutes from Shinsen Station, Keio Inokashira Line. Featuring approximately 100 vendors, this upscale fair has made a name for itself with its old-world collectables and rare vintage finds from Japan and other diverse regions.

When you’re not browsing ornate metal teapots, artisan jewellery and striking silk kimonos, you can eat at a small number of food stalls. If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, head to nearby One Garden for authentic Japanese dishes. We love the Ise lobster with sea urchin and the caviar and edamame tofu.

Market of the Sun is Tokyo’s largest farmers’ market, located in the special ward of Chuo in the beating heart of the capital. Come here for a vast array of fruits and vegetables that are native to Japan, as well as educational workshops focused on harvesting and farming.

When you’re done filling your bags with the freshest produce in the city, you can stock up on artisanal baked goods and deli-style ingredients including homemade bagels, rich fruit preserves, aromatic coffee and traditional Shinshu miso. Food trucks offer tasty meals to hungry shoppers exiting the market, so be sure you sample the American-style hamburgers and Indian biryanis.

Art Fair Tokyo brings together some of the most prestigious galleries from across Japan, as well as the global arena. The oldest art fair in Asia, AFT is one of the driving forces of the Japanese art market with its extensive collections of contemporary pieces that span painting, sculpture, textiles, photography and avant-garde mixed media.

Collectors and buyers flock to the Tokyo International Forum hall every March to admire works from creators such as the ultra-modern Tomoko Hasuwa, performance-based Chiharu Shiota and contemporary pop artist Taro Yakumo. If you buy an Advanced Ticket you’ll save 1,000 yen, while children under 5 enter free with an adult.

Around 3,000 dealers flock to the Heiwajima Antiques Fair, held several times a year at the Tokyo Ryutsu Centre, to flog bygone-era collectables. These include prized Asian porcelain, tea ceremony sets, netsuke sculptures used to fasten a container onto the sash of a kimono, jewellery, statues and traditional prints. While this event teems with seasoned professionals who trade antiques for a living, it’s still OK to haggle for a discount.

First established in 1978, HAF has grown into Japan’s oldest and most prestigious event that’s solely focused on coveted antiques. Our tip is to visit on the first day of the fair, while all those rare items are still up for grabs. Admission for buyers is free.

For the best seafood in the capital, nothing beats Tsukiji Outer Market. The vendors here sell lean akami tuna, succulent crabs and scallops and himono, a traditional sun-dried fish with a rich, umami flavour. The city’s chefs adore this gastronomic hub for its impressive range of speciality edibles like salt-pickled mullet roe and deep-green nori seaweed sheets.

When you’re not spending your cash on the catch of the day, head to one of the market’s lively sushi restaurants for a traditional Japanese meal. We recommend Shutoku Ganso, a hole-in-the-wall venue down an alley near Tsukiji, for sea urchin nigiri and succulent bluefin tuna.

Dating back to the 17th century, Nakamise-dori Street is a charismatic shopping arcade that connects the main gate of Sensoji Temple to its lantern-lit, frescoed hall. Many of the retailers here have been run by the same family for generations, making it something of a cultural phenomenon.

Close to 100 stalls compete for attention, enticing buyers with everything from samurai swords and matcha ice cream to Hello Kitty merchandise. For traditional souvenirs, you’ll be treated by vendors selling vivid kimonos, multi-coloured chopsticks, ornate sandals and pretty paper opera fans.

The hyper-sustainable Mottainai Flea Markets are held every weekend in and around Tokyo, including the prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. Locals and tourists flock to the bazaars to score hand-me-down clothing and used household goods at prices that sometimes seem too good to be true.

In the past, this eco-minded event has taken place at prime locations like Komazawa Olympic Park, Shimokitazawa Station and the rooftop of Parco Kichijoji, a popular urban shopping centre. Make sure you check the official website as the market changes locations frequently; sometimes it even moves twice in 1 weekend.