🔗 Share this article Bluefin Fish Fetches Record Bid of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital Auction The winning bidder is a prominent presence at the annual event. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the new year. The winning offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the operator of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages outlets throughout Japan and overseas. "An inaugural tuna signals good luck," commented the company president, a familiar participant at the yearly January sale. Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is noted for making record bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic January auctions. Auction Surprise and Historic Precedent Following the auction, the winner admitted to reporters that he was "surprised at the amount," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase surpasses his own historic purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He paid 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Even after once remarking that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his own record another time. A Tradition of High Prices The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which announced the fish would be available at its locations nationwide. The high-energy atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Immediate Consumption The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for diners at the winner's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction was finished. "I feel like I've started the year in a good way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year starts," said one elated customer.
The winning bidder is a prominent presence at the annual event. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the new year. The winning offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the operator of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages outlets throughout Japan and overseas. "An inaugural tuna signals good luck," commented the company president, a familiar participant at the yearly January sale. Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is noted for making record bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic January auctions. Auction Surprise and Historic Precedent Following the auction, the winner admitted to reporters that he was "surprised at the amount," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase surpasses his own historic purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He paid 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Even after once remarking that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his own record another time. A Tradition of High Prices The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which announced the fish would be available at its locations nationwide. The high-energy atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Immediate Consumption The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for diners at the winner's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction was finished. "I feel like I've started the year in a good way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year starts," said one elated customer.