Bluefin Tuna Sells for Historic Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo New Year Sale
A substantial bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; ÂŁ2.4m) during the market's first auction of the calendar year.
The winning offer for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the parent firm of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which runs outlets domestically and internationally.
"The first tuna signals a prosperous start," commented the company president, a notable participant at the annual new year's auction.
Known as the King of Tuna, this industry figure is famous for making substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious year-opening auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent
Following the auction, the successful bidder admitted to reporters that he was "astonished at the final price," noting, "I expected we would be able to acquire it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed rapidly."
This new purchase tops his previous record purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars).
Even after once commenting that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his personal record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The inaugural auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a separate culinary group, which indicated the fish would be available at its locations across Japan.
The frenetic atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has become a must-see tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.
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The record-priced tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for diners at the winner's sushi establishments immediately after the auction ended.
"I feel like I've started the year in a good way after consuming something so auspicious as the year gets underway," remarked one satisfied diner.
