A giant bluefin tuna made headlines at Tokyo’s first fish auction of 2026, fetching a record-breaking price that left buyers and spectators alike in awe.
A Historic Sale at Toyosu
The 243-kilogram tuna sold for 510 million yen, roughly €2.78 million, during the predawn auction at the famed Toyosu fish market. The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., owned by Kiyoshi Kimura, the entrepreneur behind the popular Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura, a veteran of the New Year auctions, shattered his own 2019 record of 334 million yen.
Speaking to reporters after the sale, Kimura admitted he had hoped to pay a little less, but said the bidding quickly escalated. “The price shot up before you knew it,” he remarked.
Why This Tuna Commanded Such a Price
The prized fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region celebrated for producing some of the country’s finest tuna. Buyers at the auction inspect each fish closely, checking colour, texture, and fat content. At 2.1 million yen (€11,500) per kilogram, this tuna was among the most expensive ever sold at the market.
Kimura explained that purchasing the top tuna is partly a tradition for good luck in the New Year, but added, “When I see a good looking tuna, I cannot resist … I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”
Tradition Meets Sustainability
While hundreds of tuna are sold daily at Toyosu, prices spike during the New Year auction, particularly for premium Oma catches. Pacific bluefin tuna were once considered threatened due to overfishing and climate change, but recent conservation measures have helped their numbers begin to recover. The auction highlights both the cultural significance of the species in Japan and the growing balance between tradition, high demand, and sustainability.
