A bluefin tuna from Oma, Aomori Prefecture, fetched a staggering ┬е207 million тАФ the second-highest price on record тАФ in the first auction of the year at Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo on Sunday.
The bid was around 1.8 times higher than last year’s, and second only in price to 2019’s top catch, which sold for ┬е333.6 million.
The tuna auction began at 5:10 a.m., with the largest bluefin from Oma, weighing 276 kilograms, attracting the most attention. It was auctioned off at ┬е750,000 per kilogram.
The winning bid came from Yamayuki, a wholesale intermediary at Toyosu market, marking their fifth consecutive year securing the highest-priced tuna. President Yukitaka Yamaguchi highlighted the fishтАЩs exceptional quality, saying that its “unmatched freshness stood out.”
The prized bluefin tuna will be served at sushi restaurants operated by the Onodera Group, including the Ginza Onodera outlet.
Aside from tuna, about 350 grams of Hokkaido sea urchin fetched a record-breaking ┬е7 million, adding excitement to the market.
Translated by The Japan Times
