🔗 Share this article Bluefin Fish Fetches Historic Price of $3.2 million at Tokyo Auction The 'Tuna King' is a prominent participant at the annual bidding war. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year. The winning offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which manages locations throughout Japan and abroad. "An inaugural tuna brings fortune," stated the company president, a regular participant at the annual January sale. Referred to as the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is renowned for placing record bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile year-opening auctions. Auction Shock and Historic Precedent After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "astonished at the amount," adding, "I believed we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This most recent purchase tops his own historic purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen away in 2012. He paid 155 million yen in 2013. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m). Even after once commenting that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to shatter his personal record yet again. A Tradition of High Prices The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously associated with exorbitant prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its locations throughout the country. The frenetic atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Immediate Consumption The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi establishments immediately after the auction ended. "I believe like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so lucky as the year gets underway," remarked one satisfied patron.
The 'Tuna King' is a prominent participant at the annual bidding war. A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year. The winning offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which manages locations throughout Japan and abroad. "An inaugural tuna brings fortune," stated the company president, a regular participant at the annual January sale. Referred to as the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is renowned for placing record bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile year-opening auctions. Auction Shock and Historic Precedent After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "astonished at the amount," adding, "I believed we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This most recent purchase tops his own historic purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen away in 2012. He paid 155 million yen in 2013. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m). Even after once commenting that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to shatter his personal record yet again. A Tradition of High Prices The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously associated with exorbitant prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its locations throughout the country. The frenetic atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Immediate Consumption The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi establishments immediately after the auction ended. "I believe like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so lucky as the year gets underway," remarked one satisfied patron.