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JAPAN - TOKYO. The most expensive giant bluefin tuna was sold at a fantastic price at the largest fish market in Tokyo on the first day of trading in 2024
Quoting Bloomberg, the tuna was sold for ¥114.2 million ($788,440) in an auction. This price is quite fantastic for a fish that is considered a lucky fish and has become a Japanese New Year tradition.
The bluefin tuna weighed 238 kilograms (525 pounds) and was sold on Friday to Yamayuki seafood wholesaler and Onodera Group sushi network operator - a team that has been the winner of the top fish auction for four consecutive years.
The first tuna auction of the year in Tokyo gave the first and most expensive "New Year's Tuna" of the year to the owner of a Japanese sushi network at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo on Monday (January 5).
Kiyoshi Kimura, owner of the "Sushi Zanmai" restaurant chain, as quoted by Reuters, also bought a Pacific bluefin tuna weighing 180.4 kilograms (398 pounds) at the auction. He paid 4.51 million yen (US$ 37,500).
With a price of 25,000 yen (US$ 208) per kilogram, he feels this year's price is still much cheaper compared to last year, which was also bought by Kimura, at a price of 32,000 yen (US$ 266 ) per kilogram.
The first tuna of the year, caught off the coast of Aomori prefecture in northern Japan, is considered profitable to market.
The fish was immediately transported a few blocks from the auction site to the main Sushi Zanmai stall where Kimura celebrated getting his first tuna for three consecutive years.
“I was surprised because the price was very cheap for the tender winner,” said Kimura.
"This is my best day. I'm happy. The world is happy," said Kimura while giving a thumbs up.
Lucky customers could get a piece of lucky tuna starting Monday night at the same price as usual for a piece of tuna at Sushi Zanmai. The whole tuna is expected to feed at least 1000 customers.
Bluefin tuna, the highest quality tuna, is known for its tender meat and is a delicious food in Japan.
Supported by strong demand in the domestic market, bluefin tuna had a tough year in 2012 due to low radiation levels from the Fukushima power plant damaged by the tsunami appearing on bluefin tuna off the coast of California, raising doubts whether the valuable fish was safe to eat or not.
Recently, quotas and even bans on catching Pacific bluefin tuna have been considered because the population of this fish has fallen to the lowest point in history.
