Bluefin Tuna Fetches Historic Bid of $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year Sale

A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the calendar year.

The top bid for the 243kg fish was placed by the parent firm of a popular sushi restaurant group, which runs restaurants domestically and abroad.

"The year's tuna signals fortune," commented the company president, a notable bidder at the traditional first sale.

Known as the King of Tuna, this businessman is noted for submitting high bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.

Auction Surprise and Historic Past

After the auction, the winner informed reporters that he was "taken aback at the winning bid," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price escalated before you knew it."

This latest purchase surpasses his previous record purchases:

• He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
• He spent 155 million yen a year later.
• In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).

Even after previously saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now managed to surpass his personal record once again.

An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids

The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is typically characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which indicated the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide.

The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has evolved into a must-see spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no different.

Immediate Consumption

The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly processed for customers at the winner's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction concluded.

"I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," said one elated diner.