Bluefin Tuna Fetches Unprecedented Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction

A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the calendar year.

The top offer for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a nationwide sushi chain, which runs locations throughout Japan and abroad.

"The first tuna heralds fortune," stated the entrepreneur, a notable figure at the traditional new year's auction.

Known as the Tuna Tycoon, this businessman is renowned for placing record bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic year-opening auctions.

Auction Shock and Historic Past

Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to the press that he was "surprised at the winning bid," stating, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed rapidly."

This latest purchase surpasses his own notable purchases:

• He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
• He bid 155 million yen the following year.
• In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).

Even after once saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to shatter his personal record yet again.

An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids

The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a different food company, which announced the fish would be served at its locations across Japan.

The frenetic atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

From Auction to Plate

The extremely valuable tuna was promptly processed for patrons at the winner's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction concluded.

"I feel like I've started the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so fortune-bringing as the year starts," remarked one elated customer.