Pacific Bluefin Fish Commands Record Price of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital New Year Sale

A substantial bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the year.

The top bid for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the company of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which runs restaurants throughout Japan and abroad.

"An inaugural tuna heralds a prosperous start," commented the entrepreneur, a notable participant at the yearly new year's auction.

Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is renowned for placing record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these high-profile new year auctions.

Auction Shock and Record-Setting Past

Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "astonished at the amount," stating, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price escalated before you knew it."

This new purchase surpasses his previous historic purchases:

• He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
• He paid 155 million yen in 2013.
• In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).

Even after once remarking that he thought he "bid too high," he has now proceeded to shatter his personal record another time.

An Annual Spectacle 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 purchased for 207 million yen by another culinary group, which stated the fish would be served at its restaurants across Japan.

The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

Swift Service

The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly sliced up for patrons at the bidder's sushi restaurants soon after the auction was finished.

"I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year starts," said one satisfied patron.