Bluefin Tuna Sells for Historic Bid of $3.2 million at Tokyo Auction
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 (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the year.
The winning bid for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the company of a popular sushi restaurant group, which manages locations domestically and abroad.
"An inaugural tuna heralds fortune," commented the company president, a regular participant at the traditional new year's auction.
Referred to as the Tuna King, this industry figure is renowned for submitting record bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile new year auctions.
Auction Shock and Historic Past
After the auction, the successful bidder told journalists that he was "astonished at the final price," adding, "I had thought we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it."
This most recent acquisition exceeds his own historic purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).
Even after previously commenting that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to surpass his personal record yet again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously known for exorbitant prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which announced the fish would be served at its locations across Japan.
The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a popular spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
From Auction to Plate
The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for diners at the winner's sushi chains soon after the auction ended.
"I believe like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so auspicious as the year begins," said one happy diner.