A bluefin tuna sold for $1.3 million at Tokyo’s fish market auction, capturing widespread attention.
On Sunday, the first tuna auction of 2025 at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market saw a 207 kg (608 pounds) bluefin tuna from Oma, Aomori Prefecture, fetch a record-breaking 207 million yen (approximately $1.3 million), as reported by multiple Japanese news outlets, including Kyodo News and NHK.
A restaurant chain and a seafood wholesale intermediary jointly secured the tuna, continuing their five-year streak of purchasing the highest-priced tuna at the year’s first auction.
In Japan, the first tuna of the year symbolizes prosperity and success for the coming year. This tradition has long drawn famous restaurateurs, particularly those from the sushi establishments, to participate in the auction and often buy the fish at a high price. The New Year’s tuna auction held at Tokyo’s Tsukiji and Toyosu markets is considered a traditional Japanese New Year’s event.
This year’s winning bid represents the second-highest since records began in 1999, nearly doubling last year’s top price of 114.24 million yen (about $723 thousand). The record remains at 333.6 million yen (about $2.1 million), set in 2019.
The company’s president purchased the top-priced tuna and said, “Tuna is a symbol of good fortune. I purchased it at the auction hoping to bring people joy through food.”
