Michelin-starred sushi chain claims record-second price for bluefin tuna at auction

A bluefin tuna, weighing 608 pounds and valued at $1.3 million, has made headlines after being sold at Japan’s prestigious Toyosu fish market during its New Year auction. 

Michelin-starred sushi restaurateurs Onodera Group claimed the 608-pound (276-kilogram) fish with a $1.3 million bid at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market on January 5, as reported by the Japanese news agency Kyodo, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

This bid represents the second-highest price since data collection began at the seafood wholesale market, the world's largest, in 1999, according to Kyodo. The highest bid on record was $3.1 million (333.6 million yen) for a 278-kilogram tuna in 2019.

Vendors from all over Japan present their finest catches for auction at the market on most mornings. However, the prestigious New Year's auction holds particular significance for bidders, who gather to compete for the honor of purchasing the first tuna of the year.

“The year’s first tuna brings good luck. We want to make people smile with food,” said Shinji Nagao, the president of Sushi Onodera, as quoted by Kyodo.

The group is behind the Michelin-starred Sushi Ginza Onodera chain, which has restaurants in Tokyo and Los Angeles.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Onodera Group has paid the highest price, having spent over $720,000 (114.2 million yen) on a bluefin tuna at last year's auction, according to Sushi Ginza Onodera's website.

The latest prize was caught off the coast of Oma, in the northeastern Aomori prefecture, as reported by Kyodo.

The fisherman behind the catch, Masahiro Takeuchi, shared with Japanese media how “unbelievably happy” he was.

“I’m always worried about how many more years I’ll be able to keep fishing like this,” said the 73-year-old, according to national broadcaster NHK.

First opened in 1935, the fish market was originally located in Tsukiji and became one of Tokyo’s most popular travel destinations.

In October 2019, the market was relocated to Toyosu, a nearby artificial island. The move sparked mixed reactions: supporters cheered for the upgraded facilities, while critics lamented the loss of the market’s iconic location.

Bluefin tuna, the largest species of tuna, can live up to 40 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). These endangered fish migrate across all oceans, can weigh up to 1,500 pounds, and reach lengths of up to 10 feet. Overfishing and illegal fishing have caused severe declines in their populations in recent decades, as noted by the WWF.

By Naila Huseynova