🔗 Share this article Bluefin Tuna Fetches Unprecedented Sum of $3.2 million at Japanese Capital Auction The winning bidder is a prominent participant at the yearly bidding war. A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the new year. The successful offer for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the company of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages outlets across the country and overseas. "The first tuna heralds fortune," commented the business owner, a regular bidder at the yearly January sale. Known as the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is noted for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions. Auction Shock and Historic Precedent After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to the press that he was "taken aback at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price soared rapidly." This most recent purchase surpasses his previous record purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He bid 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m). Despite previously saying that he thought he "did too much," he has now proceeded to surpass his own record another time. A Tradition of High Prices The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically characterized by exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which announced the fish would be featured at its eateries across Japan. The high-energy energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the winner's sushi chains immediately after the auction ended. "I feel like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year gets underway," remarked one happy customer.
The winning bidder is a prominent participant at the yearly bidding war. A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the new year. The successful offer for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the company of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages outlets across the country and overseas. "The first tuna heralds fortune," commented the business owner, a regular bidder at the yearly January sale. Known as the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is noted for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions. Auction Shock and Historic Precedent After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to the press that he was "taken aback at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price soared rapidly." This most recent purchase surpasses his previous record purchases: He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He bid 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m). Despite previously saying that he thought he "did too much," he has now proceeded to surpass his own record another time. A Tradition of High Prices The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically characterized by exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which announced the fish would be featured at its eateries across Japan. The high-energy energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the winner's sushi chains immediately after the auction ended. "I feel like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year gets underway," remarked one happy customer.