At Tokyo’s prestigious annual New Year auction, Onodera Group, a Michelin-starred sushi chain, successfully bid 207 million yen ($1.3 million) for a 276kg bluefin tuna. This bid marks the second-highest price ever at the auction since records began in 1999.
The massive tuna, comparable in size to a motorbike, was bought on Sunday, highlighting a major event at Tokyo’s main fish market to kick off the new year.
Onodera Group has achieved the highest bid for five consecutive years, aiming to bring good fortune with their purchase. Shinji Nagao, an official from Onodera, expressed hope that those who eat the tuna will have a prosperous year.
Last year, Onodera paid 114 million yen for the top tuna. However, the record for the highest-ever auction price remains 333.6 million yen, set in 2019 for a 278kg bluefin tuna by Kiyoshi Kimura, known as the “Tuna King,” who runs the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain.
This significant bid followed the relocation of the Tokyo fish market from the historic Tsukiji area to the modern Toyosu facility.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Year tuna auction prices declined as public dining out was discouraged, and restaurants operated at reduced capacities, resulting in lower bids than in previous years.
