🔗 Share this article Bluefin Fish Fetches Record Price of $3.2 million at Tokyo Auction The winning bidder is a prominent presence at the annual event. A substantial bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's inaugural auction of the new year. The top bid for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which manages locations across the country and internationally. "An inaugural tuna heralds good luck," commented the business owner, a regular figure at the traditional first sale. Known as the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is famous for submitting record bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions. Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent Following the auction, the winner informed reporters that he was "astonished at the final price," noting, "I believed we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated rapidly." This latest acquisition tops his previous notable purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million). Even after previously remarking that he thought he "did too much," he has now proceeded to break his personal record another time. An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically associated with exorbitant prices. Last year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by another food company, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide. The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Swift Service The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for diners at the bidder's sushi chains shortly after the auction concluded. "I sense like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so lucky as the year starts," said one happy diner.
The winning bidder is a prominent presence at the annual event. A substantial bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the venue's inaugural auction of the new year. The top bid for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which manages locations across the country and internationally. "An inaugural tuna heralds good luck," commented the business owner, a regular figure at the traditional first sale. Known as the King of Tuna, this entrepreneur is famous for submitting record bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions. Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent Following the auction, the winner informed reporters that he was "astonished at the final price," noting, "I believed we would be able to acquire it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated rapidly." This latest acquisition tops his previous notable purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million). Even after previously remarking that he thought he "did too much," he has now proceeded to break his personal record another time. An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is typically associated with exorbitant prices. Last year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by another food company, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide. The intense energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception. Swift Service The record-priced tuna was quickly sliced up for diners at the bidder's sushi chains shortly after the auction concluded. "I sense like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so lucky as the year starts," said one happy diner.