Pacific Bluefin Tuna Commands Unprecedented Price of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the calendar year.
The top bid for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the parent firm of a well-known sushi chain, which manages locations across the country and overseas.
"An inaugural tuna signals fortune," commented the business owner, a familiar participant at the annual new year's auction.
Dubbed the King of Tuna, this businessman is noted for making record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Historic Past
After the auction, the winner admitted to reporters that he was "taken aback at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated in no time."
This latest purchase surpasses his previous notable purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite once commenting that he thought he "bid too high," he has now proceeded to shatter his own record once again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously characterized by sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by another culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its locations across Japan.
The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
From Auction to Plate
The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter processed for diners at the entrepreneur's sushi chains soon after the auction ended.
"I feel like I've started the year in a good way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," said one elated patron.
