Pacific Bluefin Fish Sells for Unprecedented Price of 3.2 million dollars at Tokyo New Year Sale
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the calendar year.
The winning offer for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages restaurants domestically and abroad.
"The year's tuna signals fortune," remarked the company president, a familiar participant at the annual January sale.
Dubbed the Tuna King, this industry figure is renowned for placing substantial bids for premium bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.
Bidding Shock and Historic Past
After the auction, the successful bidder told reporters that he was "taken aback at the final price," noting, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated rapidly."
This latest purchase tops his own record purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Even after once remarking that he thought he "bid too high," he has now proceeded to shatter his personal record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by another sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be featured at its eateries across Japan.
The intense activity at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has evolved into a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Swift Service
The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly prepared for diners at the bidder's sushi restaurants soon after the auction ended.
"I sense like I've started the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year begins," said one satisfied customer.