Tokyo
AP
—
An enormous 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna bought for a record 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the primary auction of 2026 at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.
The prime bidder for the prized tuna at the predawn auction on Monday was Kiyomura Corp., whose proprietor Kiyoshi Kimura runs the favored Sushi Zanmai chain.
Kimura, who has gained the annual motion many instances up to now, broke the earlier record of 334 million yen ($2.1 million) he set in 2019.
Kimura later advised reporters he hoped to pay a bit much less for it, however “the price shot up before you knew it.”
The auction began when the bell rang, and the ground was full of torpedo-shaped fish with their tails minimize off so bidders might study meat particulars resembling coloration, texture and fattiness whereas strolling across the rows of tuna.
The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a area broadly regarded for producing among the nation’s best tuna, and prices 2.1 million yen ($13,360) per kilogram ($6,060 per pound).
“It’s in part for good luck,” Kimura stated. “But when I see a good looking tuna, I cannot resist … I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”
Hundreds of tuna are bought every day at the early morning auction, however costs are considerably larger than typical for the Oma tuna, particularly at the celebratory New Year auction.
Due to the recognition of tuna for sushi and sashimi, Pacific bluefin tuna was beforehand a threatened species as a consequence of local weather change and overfishing, however its inventory is recovering following conservation efforts.