Bluefin Tuna Fetches Unprecedented Price of 3.2 million dollars at Tokyo New Year Sale
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the year.
The successful bid for the 535-pound fish came from the operator of a nationwide sushi chain, which manages locations throughout Japan and overseas.
"The year's tuna heralds a prosperous start," remarked the entrepreneur, a regular figure at the annual first sale.
Known as the Tuna Tycoon, this businessman is renowned for making high bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.
Bidding Shock and Historic Precedent
After the auction, the winner admitted to the press that he was "astonished at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little cheaper, but the price skyrocketed before you knew it."
This latest purchase surpasses his previous historic purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Despite previously remarking 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 notoriously associated with sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its restaurants throughout the country.
The high-energy activity at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Immediate Consumption
The extremely valuable tuna was quickly sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction concluded.
"I believe like I've commenced the year in a good way after tasting something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," said one satisfied patron.
