Pacific Bluefin Fish Commands Historic Price of $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year Sale

A massive Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines 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 market's opening auction of the new year.

The successful bid for the 243kg fish came from the parent firm of a popular sushi chain, which operates restaurants throughout Japan and overseas.

"The first tuna signals a prosperous start," remarked the company president, a familiar participant at the traditional new year's auction.

Known as the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is renowned for placing substantial bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.

Bidding Shock and Historic Past

After the auction, the winner admitted to journalists that he was "taken aback at the amount," stating, "I had thought we would be able to buy it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated in no time."

This most recent acquisition exceeds his previous historic purchases:

• He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
• He paid 155 million yen a year later.
• In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).

Even after previously commenting that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to shatter his personal record once again.

An Annual Spectacle of High Prices

The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally associated with sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be featured at its locations across Japan.

The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.

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The multi-million-dollar tuna was shortly thereafter prepared for diners at the bidder's sushi chains immediately after the auction ended.

"I sense like I've begun the year in a positive way after tasting something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," shared one happy customer.