Bluefin Tuna Fetches Historic Bid of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale
A substantial bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the new year.
The top offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the company of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages locations across the country and abroad.
"The year's tuna signals fortune," remarked the business owner, a regular figure at the traditional January sale.
Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is famous for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious new year auctions.
Bidding Shock and Record-Setting Past
Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to journalists that he was "surprised at the winning bid," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed before you knew it."
This new acquisition tops his own notable purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Even after once remarking that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to surpass his own record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by another culinary group, which stated the fish would be served at its restaurants across Japan.
The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a popular spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Swift Service
The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly processed for diners at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments immediately after the auction was finished.
"I sense like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year starts," said one satisfied diner.
