Bluefin Fish Fetches Record Sum of $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year Sale

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

The top offer for the 243kg fish came from the parent firm of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which manages locations domestically and abroad.

"An inaugural tuna signals a prosperous start," commented the entrepreneur, a familiar bidder at the yearly January sale.

Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is noted for placing record bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic January auctions.

Bidding Shock and Record-Setting Past

Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "taken aback at the final price," adding, "I had thought we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it."

This latest acquisition tops his previous notable purchases:

• He paid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
• He bid 155 million yen in 2013.
• In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).

Even after previously commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to break his personal record yet again.

A Tradition of High Prices

The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is typically associated with exceptionally high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be featured at its eateries across Japan.

The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.

Immediate Consumption

The multi-million-dollar tuna was shortly thereafter prepared for diners at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments shortly after the auction concluded.

"I sense like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so auspicious as the year gets underway," said one happy diner.