Enormous Tuna Auctioned off for $3.1 Million at Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market

Jan. 07, 2019

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3 min read

Enormous Tuna Auctioned off for $3.1 Million at Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market

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Sushi lovers, feast your eyes on the gargantuan tuna that netted $3.1 million at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market Saturday, Jan. 5.

The giant bluefin tuna, caught near northern Japan's Aomori prefecture, garnered attention from buyers with its extraordinary weight of 612 pounds. That being said -- it's no surprise that it snagged the interest of Kiyoshi Kimura, the president of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai, among many other bidders at its debut at the market's New Year's auction.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 05: Kiyomura Co. President Kiyoshi Kimura cuts a fresh bluefin tuna at one of the company's Sushi Zanmai sushi restaurants after the year's first auction at Toyosu Fish Market on January 05, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Kiyomura Co. bid for the highest priced tuna weighing 278 kilogram (612lbs) for 333.6 million yen ($3.07 million) at the year's first auction. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)

"I expected it (the tuna) will be between 30 million and 50 million yen ($276,421 - $460,702), or highest at 60 million yen ($552,843), but it ended up five times more expensive," said Kimura to CNN. This, however, did not stop the restaurant owner from breaking the market record, which was set at 155 million yen in 2013. "The tuna looks so tasty because it's fat and (looks) very fresh. It is a good tuna. But I think I did too much," Kimura added.

The New Years Auction is the first following the closure and relocation of the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market to Toyosu. The original market was a long-time staple among Tokyo tourists, operating for more than 80 years and earning about $14 million worth of business daily. It was also considered to be the largest fish market in the world. While the initial transition from Tsukiji to Toyosu wasn't exactly the smoothest ride (a survey revealed that about 80% of Tsukiji fish traders were opposed to the move), the new market layout and lighting has, at least, made it easier for spectators to view the live tuna auctions.