Bluefin Fish Sells for Historic Price of $3.2 million at Japanese Capital Auction
A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a historic bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the new year.
The top offer for the 535-pound fish was placed by the company of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages restaurants throughout Japan and overseas.
"The year's tuna brings a prosperous start," stated the business owner, a familiar participant at the traditional new year's auction.
Known as the Tuna King, this entrepreneur is renowned for submitting high bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile year-opening auctions.
Auction Surprise and Historic Past
After the auction, the winner told the press that he was "astonished at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little cheaper, but the price soared in no time."
This most recent acquisition surpasses his own historic purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite once commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to shatter his own record yet again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously associated with exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be featured at its locations across Japan.
The high-energy activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.
Swift Service
The extremely valuable tuna was quickly prepared for diners at the bidder's sushi chains soon after the auction concluded.
"I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year begins," said one happy patron.
