Bluefin Fish Fetches Historic Bid of $3.2 million at Tokyo Auction

A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a historic bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; £2.4m) during the market's first auction of the calendar year.

The successful offer for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a popular sushi restaurant group, which operates locations throughout Japan and overseas.

"An inaugural tuna brings good luck," commented the company president, a regular participant at the annual first sale.

Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this businessman is noted for submitting high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.

Bidding Surprise and Record-Setting Precedent

After the auction, the winner told the press that he was "taken aback at the winning bid," adding, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated in no time."

This most recent acquisition exceeds his own record purchases:

• He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
• He spent 155 million yen the following year.
• In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).

Even after previously saying that he thought he "did too much," he has now gone on to shatter his personal record once again.

A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids

The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally characterized by exorbitant prices. In the prior year, the initial tuna was bought for 207 million yen by a separate food company, which stated the fish would be available at its restaurants nationwide.

The intense atmosphere at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a must-see event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which commenced around 05:00 local time, was no exception.

Swift Service

The multi-million-dollar tuna was quickly sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction concluded.

"I feel like I've begun the year in a positive way after eating something so fortune-bringing as the year begins," said one happy patron.