Bluefin Tuna Sells for Historic Price of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's opening auction of the new year.
The top bid for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the operator of a nationwide sushi chain, which operates restaurants across the country and abroad.
"The first tuna heralds a prosperous start," commented the company president, a regular figure at the traditional first sale.
Referred to as the Tuna Tycoon, this entrepreneur is renowned for making high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Historic Past
After the auction, the successful bidder told reporters that he was "astonished at the amount," stating, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little cheaper, but the price skyrocketed before you knew it."
This most recent purchase exceeds his own notable purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).
Even after previously saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to surpass his own record another time.
A Tradition of High Prices
The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by another culinary group, which announced the fish would be served at its restaurants throughout the country.
The intense activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a popular event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different.
Immediate Consumption
The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for patrons at the entrepreneur's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction was finished.
"I believe like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after eating something so auspicious as the year begins," remarked one happy diner.
