đź”— Share this article Pacific Bluefin Fish Sells for Historic Price of $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year Sale A familiar auction figure is a well-known face at the traditional sale. A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir 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 first auction of the new year. The successful offer for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the company of a well-known sushi chain, which runs restaurants across the country and overseas. "The year's tuna signals a prosperous start," commented the business owner, a regular participant at the traditional first sale. Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this entrepreneur is famous for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Auction Surprise and Historic Past After the auction, the successful bidder told reporters that he was "astonished at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price skyrocketed in no time." This new acquisition tops his previous record purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He bid 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously commenting that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to surpass his personal record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by another food company, which announced the fish would be available at its restaurants across Japan. The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Swift Service The extremely valuable tuna was quickly prepared for customers at the bidder's sushi restaurants soon after the auction ended. "I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after eating something so lucky as the year begins," said one satisfied patron.
A familiar auction figure is a well-known face at the traditional sale. A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna caused a stir 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 first auction of the new year. The successful offer for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the company of a well-known sushi chain, which runs restaurants across the country and overseas. "The year's tuna signals a prosperous start," commented the business owner, a regular participant at the traditional first sale. Dubbed the Tuna Tycoon, this entrepreneur is famous for placing high bids for bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions. Auction Surprise and Historic Past After the auction, the successful bidder told reporters that he was "astonished at the winning bid," noting, "I expected we would be able to purchase it a little at a lower price, but the price skyrocketed in no time." This new acquisition tops his previous record purchases: He bid 56.5 million yen back in 2012. He bid 155 million yen a year later. In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars). Despite previously commenting that he thought he "bid too high," he has now gone on to surpass his personal record another time. A Tradition of Exorbitant Bids The first auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously known for sky-high prices. The previous year, the initial tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by another food company, which announced the fish would be available at its restaurants across Japan. The frenetic energy at the fish market during these pre-sunrise auctions has transformed into a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which began around 05:00 local time, was equally bustling. Swift Service The extremely valuable tuna was quickly prepared for customers at the bidder's sushi restaurants soon after the auction ended. "I believe like I've started the year in a positive way after eating something so lucky as the year begins," said one satisfied patron.