Bluefin Fish Commands Unprecedented Price of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital New Year Sale

A bulky bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's inaugural auction of the new year.

The top bid for the 535-pound fish came from the parent firm of a popular sushi restaurant group, which operates outlets domestically and overseas.

"The year's tuna heralds fortune," remarked the company president, a familiar bidder at the yearly first sale.

Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is renowned for submitting record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.

Bidding Shock and Record-Setting Past

Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "astonished at the winning bid," adding, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price soared rapidly."

This latest purchase surpasses his own record purchases:

• He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
• He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
• In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).

Even after once saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to surpass his own record once again.

An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids

The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically characterized by sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be featured at its eateries throughout the country.

The frenetic activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

From Auction to Plate

The extremely valuable tuna was promptly sliced up for patrons at the bidder's sushi chains immediately after the auction concluded.

"I feel like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," said one happy customer.