‘TUNA KING’ PAYS RECORD £2.4M FOR GIANT BLUEFIN AT TOKYO AUCTION

‘Tuna King’ pays record £2.4m for giant bluefin at Tokyo auction. A Japanese sushi magnate has paid a record-breaking £2.4 million for a giant bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s famous New Year fish auction. Kiyoshi Kimura, widely known as the “Tuna King,” placed the winning bid of 510.3 million yen for the 243-kilogram fish, which was caught off the northern coast of Japan.

Speaking after the pre-dawn auction at Tokyo’s main fish market, Kimura admitted he had not expected the price to climb so high. “I thought we might be able to buy it for less, but the price rose very quickly,” he said. “I was surprised. I hope that by eating this auspicious tuna, as many people as possible will feel energised.”

The price paid was the highest recorded since auction data began being collected in 1999. The previous record was set in 2019, when a 278-kilogram bluefin sold for 333.6 million yen shortly after the market relocated from the historic Tsukiji site to a new, modern facility. Last year’s top tuna fetched 207 million yen.

Following this year’s auction, the prized fish was quickly prepared and served at Kimura’s sushi restaurant chain. Customers were able to enjoy the premium tuna in sushi rolls priced at around 500 yen (£2.40) each.

“I feel like I’ve started the year in a good way after eating something so lucky,” said 19-year-old customer Minami Sugiyama while dining at one of Kimura’s restaurants in Tsukiji. Another diner, 40-year-old Shinto priest Kiyoshi Nishimura, praised the flavour. “Even without soy sauce, there’s a natural sweetness. The richness and texture just make you feel happy,” he said.

Prices at New Year tuna auctions had dropped significantly during the pandemic, as restaurants reduced operations. This year’s record-breaking sale signals a strong return to tradition — and to top prices — at Tokyo’s iconic fish market.

Image: Kate Estes, Unsplash