Pacific Bluefin Tuna Commands Historic Bid of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A substantial bluefin tuna caused a stir at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, securing a historic bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the new year.
The winning offer for the 243-kilogram fish was placed by the operator of a popular sushi restaurant group, which operates restaurants across the country and internationally.
"An inaugural tuna heralds good luck," stated the business owner, a familiar bidder at the yearly January sale.
Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is renowned for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious new year auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Historic Past
After the auction, the successful bidder told journalists that he was "surprised at the winning bid," adding, "I expected we would be able to buy it a little cheaper, but the price escalated before you knew it."
This latest purchase exceeds his previous record purchases:
- He paid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Despite once commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to surpass his own record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally known for exorbitant prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which announced the fish would be served at its locations across Japan.
The intense activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has become a major tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
From Auction to Plate
The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter prepared for patrons at the bidder's sushi chains immediately after the auction was finished.
"I feel like I've commenced the year in a good way after tasting something so fortune-bringing as the year gets underway," remarked one elated customer.
