Bluefin Tuna Sells for Unprecedented Bid of $3.2 million at Tokyo Auction
A bulky bluefin tuna created waves at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the new year.
The winning offer for the 243kg fish was placed by the operator of a popular sushi chain, which runs locations throughout Japan and overseas.
"An inaugural tuna signals good luck," stated the business owner, a familiar figure at the annual January sale.
Dubbed the Tuna King, this industry figure is famous for submitting substantial bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.
Bidding Shock and Historic Past
After the auction, the winner informed journalists that he was "astonished at the final price," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little for less, but the price soared in no time."
This most recent acquisition surpasses his own historic purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He paid 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 "bid too high," he has now proceeded to break his own record another time.
A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids
The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously characterized by exorbitant prices. In the prior year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different food company, which indicated the fish would be served at its locations throughout the country.
The intense activity at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has evolved into a popular event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Immediate Consumption
The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for diners at the winner's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction was finished.
"I feel like I've started the year in a auspicious way after eating something so lucky as the year starts," said one elated patron.
