Pacific Bluefin Fish Commands Unprecedented Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale

A substantial bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the new year.

The top bid for the 243-kilogram fish came from the operator of a popular sushi restaurant group, which runs locations across the country and overseas.

"An inaugural tuna brings a prosperous start," stated the entrepreneur, 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 bluefin tuna at these high-profile year-opening auctions.

Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent

After the auction, the successful bidder informed reporters that he was "surprised at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed in no time."

This latest purchase tops his previous record purchases:

• He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
• He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
• In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).

Despite once remarking that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to surpass his personal record another time.

An Annual Spectacle of High Prices

The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically associated with sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its restaurants across Japan.

The high-energy activity at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a must-see tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no different.

Immediate Consumption

The multi-million-dollar tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for diners at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction was finished.

"I believe like I've begun the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year gets underway," said one elated customer.