Bluefin Fish Fetches Historic Price of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital Auction
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the venue's opening auction of the year.
The successful offer for the 243-kilogram fish was submitted by the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which runs outlets across the country and overseas.
"The first tuna brings good luck," stated the business owner, a notable bidder at the annual new year's auction.
Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is famous for placing substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these high-profile January auctions.
Auction Shock and Record-Setting Precedent
Following the auction, the winner informed the press that he was "astonished at the amount," stating, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it."
This new purchase tops his own historic purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Even after once remarking that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to surpass his own record once again.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously associated with sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by another food company, which stated the fish would be served at its eateries across Japan.
The frenetic activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
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The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the bidder's sushi restaurants shortly after the auction concluded.
"I believe like I've started the year in a good way after eating something so lucky as the year starts," said one elated customer.
