Pacific Bluefin Tuna Commands Historic Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the year.
The top bid for the 243-kilogram fish was placed by the company of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates restaurants throughout Japan and abroad.
"An inaugural tuna signals a prosperous start," remarked the company president, a regular figure at the annual first sale.
Known as the Tuna King, this businessman is renowned for placing record bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent
After the auction, the winner informed journalists that he was "astonished at the final price," stating, "I had thought we would be able to buy it a little at a lower price, but the price skyrocketed rapidly."
This new acquisition tops his own notable purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Even after previously commenting that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to surpass his personal record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by another sushi chain operator, which indicated the fish would be featured at its restaurants throughout the country.
The intense atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a must-see tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different.
Swift Service
The multi-million-dollar tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction was finished.
"I feel like I've commenced the year in a good way after eating something so lucky as the year starts," remarked one elated diner.
