Bluefin Tuna Sells for Historic Price of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale
A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the year.
The winning offer for the 535-pound fish was placed by the operator of a popular sushi restaurant group, which operates outlets throughout Japan and internationally.
"The first tuna brings good luck," stated the company president, a regular participant at the annual new year's auction.
Dubbed the King of Tuna, this businessman is famous for submitting record bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.
Auction Surprise and Record-Setting Past
After the auction, the winner told the press that he was "surprised at the amount," adding, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price escalated rapidly."
This latest purchase exceeds his previous notable purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite previously commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to surpass his own record yet again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is typically associated with exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by another sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be available at its eateries throughout the country.
The high-energy activity at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
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The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi restaurants soon after the auction concluded.
"I feel like I've started the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," remarked one satisfied customer.
