A single bluefin tuna captured the spotlight at Tokyo’s New Year auction, selling for a jaw-dropping price that set a new record for the market.
Million-Euro Tuna Steals the Show
At the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market, a massive 243-kilogram bluefin tuna fetched 510 million yen, around €2.78 million. The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., owned by Kiyoshi Kimura, the founder of the popular Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura, a familiar figure at these annual auctions, surpassed his own 2019 record of 334 million yen. He admitted afterward that he had hoped to pay less, but “the price shot up before you knew it.”
The Fame of Oma Tuna
The prized tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region renowned for producing some of the country’s finest bluefin. Bidders inspected rows of torpedo-shaped fish with their tails removed, examining color, texture, and fat content before placing their bids. This particular tuna sold for 2.1 million yen (€11,500) per kilogram. Kimura said the purchase was partly for good luck, but he could not resist such a remarkable fish, adding, “I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”
Tradition and Conservation Hand in Hand
While hundreds of tuna are sold daily at Toyosu, prices spike for the New Year auction, especially for prized Oma tuna. Pacific bluefin tuna, once a threatened species due to overfishing and climate change, have seen their populations slowly recover thanks to conservation efforts. This recovery has allowed Japan to continue enjoying high-quality tuna while supporting sustainable fishing practices.
