Tsukiji Outer Market Urges Tourists to Stay Away in December

Dec 04, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market has taken the unusual step of asking tourists not to visit in December as operators move to prevent crowd-related accidents during the busy year-end shopping season, with local officials also confirming that Shibuya’s New Year’s Eve countdown will be canceled for the sixth consecutive year.

The Tsukiji Food Town Development Council, which manages community coordination at the famous market, said it is calling on visitors to refrain from coming for sightseeing throughout December, when the number of shoppers typically increases sharply. It is the first time the market has issued such an appeal, and the council plans to ask tour guides and travel companies to avoid organizing group visits during this period. Meanwhile, Shibuya Ward has decided to cancel the annual station-front countdown event again this year and intends to implement crowd-control measures similar to those taken on Halloween, including sealing off areas around the Hachiko statue on New Year’s Eve.

Source: TBS

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