Self-described "tuna king," Kiyoshi Kimura, the entrepreneur who purchased a 243-kilogram specimen for 510.3 million yen, equivalent to approximately 3.1 million euros, during an auction held at one of Tokyo‘s most famous fish markets. It is the highest price ever recorded for this type of sale since 1999, the year official records began.
A Record-Breaking Tuna
3 million dollars for a bluefin tuna landed in the port of Oma, in the Aomori prefecture, in northeastern Japan. The buyer was not just any citizen, but Kiyoshi Kimura, founder and president of Kiyomura Corp., the company that owns the well-known sushi chain Sushizanmai. During the auction in Toyosu, home to Tokyo's most famous fish market, Kimura won a bluefin tuna weighing approximately 243 kilos, setting a new record: "When I saw the tuna, I couldn't resist buying it. I was a little surprised by the price, but I want as many people as possible to enjoy it," Kimura himself declared, as reported by El Pais. After the auction, in fact, the tuna was cut up and destined for the restaurants of the Sushizanmai chain, where it will be served as sushi for the modest sum of 500 yen, approximately 3,16 dollars.
The price of 510.3 million yen at the New Year's auction was the highest recorded since 1999, when official sales figures began being collected. The previous record was set by Kimura himself in 2019, when he paid 333.6 million yen (2.1 million dollars) for a 278-kilogram bluefin tuna.
Toyosu and The Tokyo Fish Market
It's not just about securing a tuna of exceptional size and quality, but a gesture with strong symbolic meaning. In Japan, the first auctions of the year are the most important, and winning the most expensive fish is a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the months to come.
Tuna auctions have become a veritable tourist attraction in the Japanese capital. Every morning, at the Toyosu fish market, you can witness one of the country's most iconic gastronomic experiences, where authorized buyers compete with each other to bid on the finest specimens caught just hours earlier. This ritual is inherited from the historic Tsukiji market, which closed after nearly a century of operation and was replaced by Toyosu in 2018, with more modern and hygienic facilities. Tourists can come here every morning, reserving their spot, to watch the auction and continue the experience by enjoying delicious delicacies at the approximately 40 restaurants within the facility.
;Resize,width=767;)
