Bluefin Fish Sells for Historic Bid of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale
A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the year.
The successful bid for the 243-kilogram fish came from the parent firm of a popular sushi chain, which runs restaurants domestically and internationally.
"The first tuna heralds fortune," stated the company president, a regular participant at the traditional new year's auction.
Known as the King of Tuna, this businessman is renowned for submitting substantial bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.
Auction Surprise and Record-Setting Past
After the auction, the successful bidder informed journalists that he was "taken aback at the winning bid," noting, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it."
This latest purchase tops his own historic purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Even after once saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to surpass his own record yet again.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally associated with exorbitant prices. Last year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different food company, which stated the fish would be available at its eateries across Japan.
The high-energy activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different.
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The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi establishments soon after the auction ended.
"I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after consuming something so auspicious as the year gets underway," said one happy customer.
