Bluefin Fish Commands Historic Price of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital New Year Sale

A substantial Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the new year.

The top offer for the 535-pound fish was placed by the operator of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which operates locations across the country and abroad.

"An inaugural tuna heralds a prosperous start," commented the entrepreneur, a familiar participant at the yearly January sale.

Referred to as the Tuna Tycoon, this businessman is noted for submitting high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.

Auction Shock and Record-Setting Past

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

This new purchase exceeds 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 won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).

Despite previously saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to break his own record once again.

A Tradition of High Prices

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

The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

Immediate Consumption

The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for patrons at the bidder's sushi establishments soon after the auction ended.

"I sense like I've commenced the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year gets underway," said one elated customer.