🔗 Share this article Pacific Bluefin Tuna Sells for Unprecedented Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale A familiar auction figure is a well-known face at the traditional event. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year. The successful offer for the 535-pound fish came from the parent firm of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates outlets across the country and abroad. "An inaugural tuna brings good luck," commented the company president, a notable participant at the yearly first sale. Known as the Tuna King, this industry figure is noted for submitting record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions. Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent After the auction, the winner told the press that he was "surprised at the winning bid," noting, "I believed we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase exceeds his own notable purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen in 2013. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite once commenting that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to surpass his own record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be featured at its eateries throughout the country. The frenetic activity at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was promptly sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi chains soon after the auction concluded. "I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so auspicious as the year gets underway," shared one happy patron.
A familiar auction figure is a well-known face at the traditional event. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year. The successful offer for the 535-pound fish came from the parent firm of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates outlets across the country and abroad. "An inaugural tuna brings good luck," commented the company president, a notable participant at the yearly first sale. Known as the Tuna King, this industry figure is noted for submitting record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions. Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent After the auction, the winner told the press that he was "surprised at the winning bid," noting, "I believed we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase exceeds his own notable purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen in 2013. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite once commenting that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to surpass his own record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be featured at its eateries throughout the country. The frenetic activity at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was promptly sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi chains soon after the auction concluded. "I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so auspicious as the year gets underway," shared one happy patron.