Bluefin Tuna Commands Historic Price of $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year Sale
A substantial bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year.
The successful bid for the 243kg fish was placed by the parent firm of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages restaurants throughout Japan and abroad.
"The year's tuna brings fortune," commented the business owner, a familiar bidder at the yearly new year's auction.
Referred to as the Tuna King, this industry figure is renowned for submitting record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these high-profile new year auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Historic Past
Following the auction, the winner told the press that he was "surprised at the final price," stating, "I had thought we would be able to buy it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it."
This latest acquisition exceeds his previous historic purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Even after once saying that he thought he "did too much," he has now proceeded to break his own record once again.
A Tradition of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally associated with exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by another sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be available at its restaurants nationwide.
The high-energy energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Immediate Consumption
The extremely valuable tuna was quickly processed for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi chains soon after the auction ended.
"I sense like I've commenced the year in a positive way after eating something so auspicious as the year gets underway," said one happy patron.
