Bluefin Tuna Sells for Record $3.2 Mln at Tokyo’s New Year Auction

A giant bluefin tuna sold for a record 510.3 mln yen, about $3.2 mln, at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Monday during the first auction of the year.

The 243 kg fish was purchased by Kiyomura Corp, the operator of the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, which has outlets across Japan and overseas. Company president Kiyoshi Kimura said the first tuna of the year is believed to bring good fortune.

Kimura, often dubbed the «Tuna King,» is known for placing high bids at New Year auctions. He told reporters he was surprised by the final price, saying he had expected to secure the fish for less before bidding surged.

In previous years, Kimura paid about $360,000 for a bluefin tuna in 2012 and roughly $1 mln in 2013, both record prices at the time. In 2019, he bought another tuna for around $2.1 mln, setting a new high. Despite later saying he may have overpaid, he has now broken his own record again.

The first auction of the year at Toyosu often sees exceptionally high prices. In 2025, the top tuna sold for about $1.3 mln to Onodera Group, another sushi chain operator.

The early morning auctions, which have become a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo, again drew attention as bidding began around 5 am local time. The record-priced tuna was quickly prepared and served to customers at Sushi Zanmai restaurants.

One diner told AFP that eating the prized tuna at the start of the year felt like an auspicious way to begin.