Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fetches Record Sum of $3.2m at Japanese Capital Auction

A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's first auction of the year.

The top offer for the 535-pound fish came from the company of a well-known sushi chain, which manages restaurants throughout Japan and abroad.

"An inaugural tuna heralds fortune," remarked the company president, a familiar figure at the annual new year's auction.

Known as the King of Tuna, this businessman is renowned for placing substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile year-opening auctions.

Bidding Surprise and Historic Past

Following the auction, the winner admitted to reporters 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 before you knew it."

This latest purchase tops his previous historic purchases:

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

Despite once commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now gone on to shatter his own record another time.

An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids

The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally associated with sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a different food company, which stated the fish would be served at its eateries across Japan.

The high-energy energy at the fish market during these early morning auctions has become a must-see spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling.

Swift Service

The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter processed for diners at the bidder's sushi establishments shortly after the auction concluded.

"I feel like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year starts," remarked one happy customer.