đź”— Share this article Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fetches Record Bid of 3.2 million dollars at Tokyo New Year Sale The 'Tuna King' is a regular participant at the yearly bidding war. A massive Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; ÂŁ2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the year. The top bid for the 535-pound fish came from the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates locations throughout Japan and abroad. "The first tuna heralds a prosperous start," stated the company president, a notable bidder at the annual first sale. Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is renowned for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Bidding Shock and Historic Past After the auction, the successful bidder informed journalists that he was "taken aback at the amount," noting, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little cheaper, but the price soared rapidly." This most recent purchase exceeds his previous historic purchases: He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012. He spent 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his personal record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The opening auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which announced the fish would be featured at its eateries nationwide. The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different. Swift Service The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi restaurants soon after the auction ended. "I sense like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year begins," remarked one satisfied patron.
The 'Tuna King' is a regular participant at the yearly bidding war. A massive Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Tokyo's Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million; ÂŁ2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the year. The top bid for the 535-pound fish came from the operator of a well-known sushi restaurant group, which operates locations throughout Japan and abroad. "The first tuna heralds a prosperous start," stated the company president, a notable bidder at the annual first sale. Dubbed the Tuna King, this businessman is renowned for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Bidding Shock and Historic Past After the auction, the successful bidder informed journalists that he was "taken aback at the amount," noting, "I believed we would be able to purchase it a little cheaper, but the price soared rapidly." This most recent purchase exceeds his previous historic purchases: He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen away in 2012. He spent 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he purchased a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously saying that he thought he "overdid it," he has now managed to break his personal record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The opening auction at the Toyosu fish market is traditionally known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was purchased for 207 million yen by a different culinary group, which announced the fish would be featured at its eateries nationwide. The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was no different. Swift Service The extremely valuable tuna was shortly thereafter sliced up for customers at the entrepreneur's sushi restaurants soon after the auction ended. "I sense like I've begun the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so lucky as the year begins," remarked one satisfied patron.