A bluefin tuna, roughly the size of a motorcycle, was sold for $1.3 million (207 million yen) at Japan’s renowned Toyosu fish market, setting the second-highest price ever recorded during its New Year auction. The 608-pound (276-kilogram) tuna was purchased by the Onodera Group, a Michelin-starred sushi chain, on January 5, as reported by the Japanese news agency Kyodo.
This bid ranks as the second highest since the market, the largest seafood wholesale venue in the world, began tracking auction prices in 1999. The highest price ever recorded was $3.1 million (333.6 million yen) for a 278-kilogram tuna in 2019.
Every morning, vendors from across Japan bring their best catches to the Toyosu market for auction, but the New Year auction holds particular significance. Bidders compete for the honor of purchasing the first tuna of the year, which is believed to bring good luck. “The year’s first tuna brings good luck. We want to make people smile with food,” said Shinji Nagao, president of Sushi Onodera.
The Onodera Group, which operates the Michelin-starred Sushi Ginza Onodera chain in Tokyo and Los Angeles, has once again claimed the top price at the prestigious New Year auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the group has purchased the highest-priced bluefin tuna. Last year, they paid over $720,000 (114.2 million yen) for a tuna at the auction, as noted on their website.
This year’s winning tuna, weighing 608 pounds (276 kilograms), was caught off the coast of Oma in Aomori Prefecture, in northeastern Japan. The fisherman who caught the prized fish, Masahiro Takeuchi, expressed his joy, telling Japanese media that he was “unbelievably happy.” At 73 years old, Takeuchi shared his concerns about how much longer he would be able to continue fishing.
The Toyosu fish market, which opened in 1935 and was previously located in Tsukiji, has been a popular destination for travelers, known for its lively auctions and high-quality seafood.
In October 2019, Tokyo’s famous fish market was relocated from its historic Tsukiji location to Toyosu, a nearby artificial island. The move received mixed reactions: some welcomed the upgraded facilities, while others lamented the loss of the market’s iconic setting.
Bluefin tuna, the largest of their species, can live up to 40 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund. These endangered fish are known to migrate across all oceans and can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh as much as 1,500 pounds. However, their populations have drastically decreased in recent years due to overfishing and illegal fishing, reports the World Wildlife Fund.