Bluefin Fish Commands Historic Bid of 3.2 million dollars at Japanese Capital New Year Sale
A bulky bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the new year.
The successful bid for the 535-pound fish was placed by the parent firm of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which runs outlets domestically and overseas.
"An inaugural tuna brings fortune," stated the business owner, a notable participant at the traditional new year's auction.
Known as the Tuna Tycoon, this entrepreneur is noted for making substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious new year auctions.
Auction Surprise and Historic Precedent
After the auction, the successful bidder admitted to reporters that he was "surprised at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little cheaper, but the price escalated before you knew it."
This latest acquisition tops his own notable purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen in 2013.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).
Even after previously saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now managed to break his personal record yet again.
A Tradition of High Prices
The inaugural auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally associated with exorbitant prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which stated the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide.
The high-energy atmosphere at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
Immediate Consumption
The record-priced tuna was quickly prepared for patrons at the entrepreneur's sushi restaurants soon after the auction was finished.
"I feel like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after tasting something so auspicious as the year begins," said one elated diner.