Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fetches Historic Price of $3.2 million at Japanese Capital New Year Sale
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the calendar year.
The successful offer for the 243kg fish was placed by the company of a popular sushi restaurant group, which operates locations domestically and internationally.
"The year's tuna heralds fortune," stated the company president, a notable figure at the yearly new year's auction.
Dubbed the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is famous for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent
After the auction, the winner told journalists that he was "astonished at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed rapidly."
This latest acquisition exceeds his own historic purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite once saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now managed to break his personal record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally associated with sky-high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by another sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be served at its locations throughout the country.
The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.
Immediate Consumption
The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly sliced up for diners at the bidder's sushi restaurants immediately after the auction ended.
"I believe like I've begun the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year begins," shared one satisfied diner.
