Pacific Bluefin Fish Fetches Unprecedented Price of 3.2 million dollars at Tokyo New Year Sale
A massive Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the new year.
The winning bid for the 535-pound fish was placed by the parent firm of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates outlets domestically and internationally.
"The year's tuna heralds good luck," commented the company president, a notable bidder at the annual January sale.
Known as the Tuna King, this businessman is famous for submitting substantial bids for premium bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.
Bidding Shock and Record-Setting Past
After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to reporters that he was "taken aback at the final price," noting, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed before you knew it."
This most recent acquisition exceeds his own record purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite once saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now proceeded to break his own record another time.
A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously associated with exorbitant prices. Last year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide.
The high-energy activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a must-see spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Immediate Consumption
The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly sliced up for patrons at the bidder's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction concluded.
"I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," shared one happy customer.
