Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fetches Historic Bid of 3.2 million dollars at Tokyo New Year Sale
A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's inaugural auction of the calendar year.
The winning offer for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the operator of a popular sushi chain, which operates locations throughout Japan and abroad.
"The year's tuna brings good luck," commented the company president, a regular bidder at the yearly first sale.
Referred to as the King of Tuna, this businessman is renowned for making high bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic new year auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent
After the auction, the winner informed the press that he was "taken aback at the amount," stating, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little cheaper, but the price escalated before you knew it."
This new purchase tops his own notable purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He paid 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Even after once remarking that he thought he "did too much," he has now managed to shatter his personal record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally associated with exceptionally high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by another food company, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants throughout the country.
The frenetic atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different.
Immediate Consumption
The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter prepared for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi chains shortly after the auction was finished.
"I feel like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after eating something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," remarked one happy diner.
