Bluefin Fish Sells for Historic Price of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A massive Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the new year.
The top bid for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a popular sushi chain, which runs outlets throughout Japan and internationally.
"An inaugural tuna brings a prosperous start," commented the business owner, a regular participant at the traditional January sale.
Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this entrepreneur is noted for submitting high bids for bluefin tuna at these symbolic January auctions.
Auction Surprise and Historic Past
After the auction, the successful bidder informed the press that he was "surprised at the amount," noting, "I had thought we would be able to buy it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated in no time."
This latest acquisition tops his previous record 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 remarking that he thought he "did too much," he has now managed to shatter his own record yet again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally associated with exceptionally high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different food company, which indicated the fish would be served at its restaurants throughout the country.
The high-energy energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a must-see spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
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The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi chains soon after the auction ended.
"I feel like I've commenced the year in a positive way after eating something so lucky as the year starts," said one satisfied patron.