Tsukiji is one of the most famous fish markets in the world — and the outer market is still open, still packed, and still very much a tourist magnet. But the way most visitors do it is the wrong way.
Tsukiji's outer market is genuinely cool — interesting stalls, quirky eateries, real energy — but it has a tourist-trap problem: the prices at the most-hyped stalls are the same as (or more than) what you'd pay for a full sit-down meal elsewhere in Tokyo. The question isn't whether to go; it's whether you go in eyes-open or Instagram-brained.
Yes, if you treat it as a wander rather than a destination meal. It's a cool, interesting place to explore — just don't expect budget-friendly bites at the famous stalls.
Entry is free, but food at the stalls is expensive — comparable to, or more than, sit-down sushi restaurants elsewhere in Tokyo. Bring cash; cards are widely not accepted.
Come around lunchtime, skip the queues at the famous stalls, and deliberately seek out the less-hyped vendors selling more unusual food — that's where the value and discovery actually are.