Bluefin Tuna Sells for Historic Price of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital New Year Sale

A massive Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the 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 calendar year.

The successful bid for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the company of a popular sushi chain, which manages restaurants throughout Japan and abroad.

"The first tuna signals fortune," stated the company president, a regular figure at the traditional first sale.

Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is renowned for placing record bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions.

Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Past

After the auction, the winner admitted to journalists that he was "taken aback at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price soared rapidly."

This latest purchase surpasses his own historic purchases:

• He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
• He bid 155 million yen the following year.
• In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).

Despite once remarking that he thought he "did too much," he has now managed to surpass his own record once again.

An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids

The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different food company, which announced the fish would be available at its restaurants throughout the country.

The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no exception.

Immediate Consumption

The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly prepared for diners at the bidder's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction ended.

"I believe like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after eating something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," remarked one elated customer.