Bluefin Fish Sells for Record Price of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the year.
The successful offer for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the operator of a popular sushi chain, which operates outlets throughout Japan and abroad.
"The first tuna heralds fortune," remarked the company president, a regular bidder at the yearly new year's auction.
Known as the King of Tuna, this businessman is noted for making high bids for premium bluefin tuna at these symbolic new year auctions.
Auction Surprise and Record-Setting Past
After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "astonished at the amount," noting, "I believed we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price soared rapidly."
This most recent acquisition tops his own record purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).
Despite previously remarking that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to break his personal record yet again.
A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids
The opening auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which stated the fish would be served at its locations across Japan.
The frenetic activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different.
From Auction to Plate
The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi chains immediately after the auction concluded.
"I feel like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," shared one satisfied diner.
