On the 5th, Tokyo's Toyosu Market held its first tuna auction of the New Year, with one bluefin tuna (also known as black tuna) selling for 510.3 million yen (about 12.9 million ringgit), setting the highest price since records began in 1999.
According to Japanese media reports, the bluefin tuna was caught in Oma, Aomori Prefecture, and weighed 243 kilograms.
The winning bidder was the Tokyo-based sushi chain "Tsukiji Sushizanmai", headquartered in Tsukiji.
Sushizanmai president Kiyoshi Kimura said, "When I saw that tuna, I just couldn't help wanting to buy it, and I ended up really winning the bid. I was a little surprised by the amount, but I hope more people can taste this tuna, which symbolizes good fortune, and we can all be uplifted together."
He said the key factors influencing his bid were the fish’s appearance and fat content; the tuna’s flesh is exceptionally fine-textured. "I think it will taste amazing," he said.
This year’s record-breaking "Number One Tuna" averaged about 2.1 million yen (about 54,000 ringgit) per kilogram. After being disassembled at the main Tsukiji store, the tuna will be sold in 46 branches. Reportedly, this "Number One Tuna" can be made into around 12,000 pieces of sushi. Consumers will be able to enjoy it at regular prices. This is Sushizanmai's first "Number One Tuna" win in six years, since 2020.