Bluefin Tuna Sells for Unprecedented Price of $3.2m at Japanese Capital New Year Sale

A substantial bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the year.

The top offer for the 243kg fish was placed by the company of a well-known sushi chain, which manages outlets throughout Japan and internationally.

"The first tuna brings a prosperous start," remarked the company president, a familiar figure at the annual first sale.

Referred to as the Tuna King, this industry figure is noted for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.

Auction Shock and Record-Setting Past

Following the auction, the successful bidder told journalists that he was "taken aback at the amount," adding, "I had thought we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price escalated in no time."

This most recent acquisition exceeds his own historic purchases:

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

Even after once remarking that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his own record another time.

An Annual Spectacle of High Prices

The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally characterized by exorbitant prices. The previous year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be served at its restaurants across Japan.

The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

Swift Service

The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the winner's sushi chains shortly after the auction was finished.

"I sense like I've begun the year in a positive way after eating something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," remarked one happy patron.