Bluefin Fish Fetches Unprecedented Sum of $3.2m at Tokyo Auction
A massive bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, garnering a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the calendar year.
The winning offer for the 243kg fish was submitted by the operator of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages restaurants throughout Japan and overseas.
"The first tuna brings fortune," stated the company president, a regular figure at the traditional new year's auction.
Known as the Tuna Tycoon, this businessman is famous for making high bids for premium bluefin tuna at these symbolic January auctions.
Auction Shock and Historic Past
After the auction, the winner informed reporters that he was "astonished at the winning bid," stating, "I had thought we would be able to acquire it a little cheaper, but the price skyrocketed rapidly."
This new purchase tops his previous notable purchases:
- He bid 56.5 million yen away in 2012.
- He bid 155 million yen the following year.
- In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1m).
Despite once saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now managed to surpass his own record once again.
An Annual Spectacle of Exorbitant Bids
The opening auction at the Tokyo fish market is traditionally known for exceptionally high 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 featured at its eateries across Japan.
The high-energy energy at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has evolved into a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no different.
Immediate Consumption
The multi-million-dollar tuna was shortly thereafter prepared for customers at the winner's sushi restaurants soon after the auction concluded.
"I sense like I've started the year in a auspicious way after eating something so auspicious as the year starts," said one elated diner.