đź”— Share this article Bluefin Tuna Fetches Unprecedented Sum of $3.2m at Japanese Capital Auction The winning bidder is a regular face at the yearly event. A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; ÂŁ2.4m) during the market's opening auction of the calendar year. The winning bid for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages outlets across the country and abroad. "The year's tuna signals a prosperous start," remarked the business owner, a notable bidder at the traditional new year's auction. Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is noted for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Auction Shock and Record-Setting Past Following the auction, the winner informed the press that he was "astonished at the amount," adding, "I had thought we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase surpasses his previous historic purchases: He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now proceeded to shatter his own record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously associated with exceptionally high prices. Last year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide. The frenetic activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no different. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was promptly processed for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction concluded. "I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year starts," shared one happy customer.
The winning bidder is a regular face at the yearly event. A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a unprecedented bid of 510.3 million yen (3.2 million US dollars; ÂŁ2.4m) during the market's opening auction of the calendar year. The winning bid for the 243-kilogram fish came from the company of a nationwide sushi restaurant group, which manages outlets across the country and abroad. "The year's tuna signals a prosperous start," remarked the business owner, a notable bidder at the traditional new year's auction. Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this industry figure is noted for submitting substantial bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Auction Shock and Record-Setting Past Following the auction, the winner informed the press that he was "astonished at the amount," adding, "I had thought we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price escalated before you knew it." This new purchase surpasses his previous historic purchases: He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He spent 155 million yen the following year. In 2019, he won a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously saying that he thought he "bid too high," he has now proceeded to shatter his own record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Tokyo fish market is notoriously associated with exceptionally high prices. Last year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different sushi chain operator, which announced the fish would be featured at its restaurants nationwide. The frenetic activity at the fish market during these pre-dawn auctions has transformed into a major event in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no different. Immediate Consumption The extremely valuable tuna was promptly processed for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi establishments soon after the auction concluded. "I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after tasting something so auspicious as the year starts," shared one happy customer.