What Tsukiji Uoichiba does

Tsukiji Uoichiba Co., Ltd. (TYO: 8039) is a publicly traded marine product wholesaler headquartered inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market at Toyosu (Koto-ku, Tokyo), where it has operated since 2018 following the relocation from the legacy Tsukiji market. Founded in 1948 (with a predecessor entity dating to 1935), the company is one of the licensed central-wholesale-market fish wholesalers at Toyosu and conducts its core business through six internal sales divisions: Fresh Fish, Live Fish and Specialty Fish, Frozen Fish, Frozen and Processed Foods (handling over 9,000 items), Tuna, and Planning and Development. It also operates a 21,480-ton multi-temperature cold storage warehouse (chilled, frozen, and super-frozen grades) at the Toyosu Toichi facility and runs regional sales from offices in Fuchu (Tokyo) and Sapporo (Hokkaido).

The business model is multi-stream and largely transaction-fee based. As a licensed auctioneer, the company earns commission fees on consignment sales of marine products through the regulated Toyosu auction system, alongside direct purchase-and-sale transactions with intermediate wholesalers and authorized buyers. Additional revenue streams include cold-storage subscription services operated via subsidiary Toichi Logistics, Nitrogen Ice and conventional ice sales, processed marine product manufacturing and sales through subsidiary Kitashoku, retail and foodservice distribution through subsidiary Kyodosuisan (which is a designated Purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency), and an international import/export trade business spanning Asia and North America. Customer segments span intermediate wholesalers, premium sushi and first-class Japanese restaurants, mass merchandisers and supermarkets, and overseas buyers; pricing on the auction side is dictated by transparent bidding with regulated commission rates, while cold storage is offered on a recurring rental basis.

Tsukiji Uoichiba holds ISO 22000 (February 2023) and Tokyo Metropolitan Food Safety Management (March 2021) certifications, is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market with 2,253,520 shares outstanding and 4,355 shareholders (June 2024), and is governed by Chairman Takeshi Yoshida and President Koji Yamazaki. The Toichi Group comprises five wholly owned subsidiaries (Kyodosuisan, Toichi Logistics, Tsukiji Ichikawa Suisan, Kitashoku, Tsukiji Kigyo) that integrate purchasing, storage, processing, distribution, and cleaning. Active strategic initiatives include the medium-term management plan "MF-2026" launched in 2024 and ongoing participation in MSC/WWF Japan Sustainable Seafood Week campaigns.

Name

Tsukiji Uoichiba

Legal name

築地魚市場株式会社

Website

https://tsukiji-uoichiba.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tsukiji Uoichiba is a publicly traded Japanese marine product wholesaler operating from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market, selling fresh fish, live and specialty seafood, frozen tuna, and over 9,000 processed marine products via licensed auctions and direct B2B channels to intermediate wholesalers, restaurants, retailers, and export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale fish market
• Marine product distribution
• Seafood auction sales
• Cold storage logistics
• Frozen fish trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Koto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Marine Product Wholesale Auctions: As a central wholesale market fish wholesaler, the company earns commission fees from consignment sales and purchases of marine products. They sell through licensed auctioneers to intermediate wholesalers and authorized buyers. Also engages in purchase and sale transactions directly.
2. Cold Storage Services: Operates cold storage warehouses at Toyosu Fish Market providing refrigerated, frozen, and super frozen storage services to fish sellers and market participants. Generates revenue through cold storage service fees.
3. Ice Making and Sales: Produces and sells Nitrogen Ice and regular ice for fresh fish sellers. Uses automatic ice makers to supply additional ice for the Toyosu Fish Market operations.
4. Processed Marine Product Sales: Subsidiary Kitashoku Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells processed marine products including dried fish, pickled fish, surimi-based products, and other fishery processed products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tsukiji Uoichiba is a licensed central wholesale market fish wholesaler operating inside Toyosu Fish Market, conducting auction sales and consignment transactions of fresh fish, live and specialty fish, frozen fish, frozen and processed marine foods, and tuna. Beyond auction intermediation, the company trades marine products on a principal basis, operates the multi-temperature Toyosu Toichi cold storage warehouse, supports import/export and freight handling for marine goods, and runs a retail sales subsidiary (Kyodosuisan) and an e-commerce channel.

Product overview

Tsukiji Uoichiba Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed fish market wholesaler operating from Toyosu Fish Market, with over 80 years of history since its predecessor was founded in 1935. The company operates through six core sales divisions handling fresh fish, live and specialty fish, frozen fish, processed foods, and tuna, supported by a cold storage business unit and regional sales operations. The product portfolio includes over 9,000 items of marine products, with capabilities spanning from auction-based sales to processing, import/export trade, and cold chain logistics through its Toichi Group subsidiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toyosu Fresh Fish Wholesale Auction Auction-based wholesale sale of fresh fish received via consignment from fishing ports and other suppliers at Toyosu Fish Market, made available to authorized intermediate wholesalers, restaurants, hotels, and mass merchandisers.
• Toyosu Live and Specialty Fish Wholesale Auction Wholesale auction of live fish and specialty marine species at Toyosu Fish Market, serving premium restaurant and hospitality buyers requiring high-quality live and specialty seafood.
• Toyosu Frozen Fish Wholesale Trading Wholesale trading of frozen fish through the Toyosu platform, combining auction distribution and principal-based purchase-and-resale to intermediate wholesalers, processors, and downstream buyers.
• Toyosu Frozen and Processed Marine Foods Wholesale Wholesale distribution of frozen and processed marine food products at Toyosu, supplying value-added seafood items to intermediate wholesalers and foodservice buyers.
• Toyosu Tuna Wholesale Auction Specialized wholesale auction and trading of tuna at Toyosu Fish Market, channeling high-value tuna consignments from domestic and international fisheries to authorized buyers such as sushi wholesalers, restaurants, and exporters.
• Toyosu Toichi Cold Storage Warehouse Services Multi-temperature cold storage and related inventory-handling services provided through the Toyosu Toichi warehouse, supporting the company's own market operations and third-party cold-chain users requiring low-temperature storage of marine products.
• Fuchu Regional Wholesale Fish Sales Regional wholesale distribution of marine products from the Fuchu Sales Office, supplying intermediate wholesalers, retailers, and foodservice buyers in the Fuchu and surrounding Kanto markets.
• Import/Export and Air/Sea Freight Handling of Marine Products Import and export trading of marine products and related air and sea freight forwarding services, providing cross-border seafood logistics that leverage the Toyosu Toichi cold storage footprint.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2017Participated in Sustainable Seafood Week 2017 campaign co-hosted by MSC Japan and WWF Japan to promote sustainable seafood awareness. The campaign addresses concerns about overfishing and marine resource depletion, with events including talk shows and cooking classes featuring MSC-certified seafood.
• WWF (World Wildlife Fund) JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2017Co-participated in Sustainable Seafood Week campaign to raise awareness about sustainable fisheries. Participated in 2017 and 2019 campaigns, featuring talk shows and cooking events with MSC-certified seafood.
• Toichi Logistics Co., Ltd.coreOthers · 25 May 2015Subsidiary established May 25, 2015 providing cold-storage service at the Toyosu Toichi cold storage warehouse and Toyomi Toichi cold storage warehouse. Toichi Logistics and Toyomi Toichi Refrigeration merged in 2021.
• Kitashoku Co., Ltd.minorOthers · 10 January 2013Sales of processed marine products, established January 10, 2013, located in Hokkaido. Manufactures and sells processed seafood products including '渍物鱼' (pickled fish) and salmon roe for shareholder benefits.
• Tsukiji Ichikawa Suisan Co., Ltd.minorOthers · 20 September 2008Intermediate wholesaler of marine products at Toyosu Fish Market, established September 20, 2008 with capital of 10,000,000 yen. Kyodosuisan Co., Ltd. acquired 100% shares in 2016.
• Tsukiji Kigyo Co., Ltd.minorOthers · 1 February 1968Provides cleaning and cargo handling services for the Toyosu Toichi cold storage warehouse, established February 1, 1968.
• Kyodosuisan Co., Ltd.coreOthers · 27 May 1955Subsidiary established May 27, 1955 with capital of 50,000,000 yen. Operates store sales at department stores and supermarkets, and sales of fresh and processed marine products for hotels and restaurants. Purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency.
• Showa Freezing Plant Co., Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides patent-licensed equipment (Patent No. 4079968) for manufacturing Nitrogen Ice. Nitrogen Ice technology replaces oxygen in water with nitrogen during freezing process, preventing oxidization and preserving freshness of fresh fish.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale MarketcoreOthersThe Toyosu Fish Market, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, is the company's primary business location. The company operates within this wholesale market facility as a licensed fish wholesaler.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kyokuyo Co., Ltd. Japanese seafood processor and wholesaler operating fishing vessels, processing plants, and cold storage. Operates in the same Japanese seafood distribution ecosystem and serves overlapping food service and retail customers.
• Maruha Nichiro Corporation: Largest publicly traded Japanese seafood company with integrated operations spanning catch, aquaculture, processing, and wholesale distribution. Comparable to Tsukiji Uoichiba in terms of seafood wholesale and processing activities, but operates at vastly larger scale with overseas assets.
• Hokuto Co., Ltd. Japan-listed seafood company operating in catch, aquaculture, processing, and wholesale. Similar business model to Tsukiji Uoichiba on the wholesale side, though with a broader geographic footprint.
• Nissui (Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd.): Major Japanese seafood company with catch, aquaculture, processed foods, and refrigerated logistics businesses. Direct comparable as a vertically integrated seafood wholesaler/processor listed in Japan with similar end-markets across food service and retail.

Regional players

• Clearwater Seafoods: Canadian shellfish and seafood harvester/processor with wholesale distribution into Asian and European markets. Comparable seafood value chain player but operates across different species and geographies than Tsukiji Uoichiba.
• Pacific Seafood Group: One of the largest seafood companies in North America with vertically integrated harvesting, processing, and distribution. Comparable business model (wholesale plus processing) but operating primarily in the US market.

Broad incumbents

• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon producer with integrated farming, processing, and sales. Overlaps in seafood processing and B2B distribution, though the upstream is aquaculture-based versus Tsukiji Uoichiba's auction/wholesale model.
• Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. (Maruchan): Japanese packaged food company with a major frozen seafood/food business and global instant noodle operations. Adjacent comparable through its frozen seafood and food distribution capabilities, though the core focus is consumer packaged goods.
• Nichirei Corporation: Japanese food logistics leader with significant cold storage capacity and frozen food business. Comparable because of its parallel third-party cold storage service, while its core is broader than Tsukiji Uoichiba's seafood focus.

Emerging players

• Thai Union Group PCL: Global seafood processor and exporter (tuna, shrimp, frozen seafood). Operates a comparable value chain (wholesale/processor for foodservice and retail) but with primary focus on canned and frozen consumer seafood rather than auction-based fresh seafood.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tsukiji_uoichiba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tsukiji-uoichiba-co-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tsukiji Uoichiba