Tokyo’s New Year tuna auction sets record with $3.2 million bluefin sale

A bluefin tuna fetched a record-breaking 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million) at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market during the first auction of the year on the morning of January 5, underscoring the tradition and spectacle surrounding Japan’s New Year tuna sales.

The 243 kilograms fish was bought by Kiyomura Corp, operator of the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, whose president Kiyoshi Kimura is a regular high-profile bidder at the annual event, BBC writes.

“The year's first tuna brings good luck,” Mr Kimura said, according to Kyodo News.

Known as the “Tuna King,” Mr Kimura has repeatedly set records at New Year auctions. Speaking to reporters after Monday’s sale, he admitted the final price exceeded his expectations.

“I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it,” he said. 

Mr Kimura previously paid 56.5 million yen for a bluefin tuna in 2012 and 155 million yen in 2013, setting records on both occasions. In 2019, he spent 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million) on another bluefin, at the time a historic high. Despite saying then that he thought he “did too much,” he has now surpassed that figure.

The first auction at Toyosu fish market, which replaced the famed Tsukiji market, is known for attracting exceptionally high bids. Last year, the top tuna sold for 207 million yen to Onodera Group, another sushi restaurant operator, which said the fish would be served at its outlets nationwide.

The auction began at around 05:00 local time and drew significant attention from tourists and media, as the energetic pre-dawn bidding has become a popular attraction in Tokyo.

The million-dollar tuna was quickly prepared and served to customers at Sushi Zanmai restaurants.

“I feel like I've begun the year in a good way after eating something so auspicious as the year starts,” one diner told AFP.

By Sabina Mammadli