243kg bluefin tuna sells for record amount at auction

Be honest: if we said the word ‘auction’, would your mind jump straight to food markets, or wander instead to mull over antique houses, museums full of priceless works of art, or even property?

If you’re in the latter camp, then you’ll probably be surprised to hear that perishable products, such as meat, fish, and even cheese, can also fetch just as hefty as a sum when put under the gavel.

Revellers at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market learned this first hand earlier this week when a fish was sold for a jaw-dropping seven-figure sum.

Described by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) as the biggest fish market in the world, Toyosu hosts tuna auctions, sees chefs serving up super fresh sushi, and offers travellers the chance to purchase fruits and vegetables.

On Monday (5 January), the first pre-dawn tuna auction of 2026 took place, with Kiyomura Corp, the operator of popular sushi chain Sushi Zanmai, paying big bucks for a bluefin tuna.

A massive tuna has been sold at auction in Tokyo for a whopping sum (Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images)

The amphibian weighed a whopping 243kg and was purchased at the event by Koyomura Corp. president Kiyoshi Kimura.

This year, the so-called ‘Tuna King’ paid 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) for a bluefin tuna at the New Year auction.

This amount smashed his 2019 record of 333.6 million yen ($2.1m; £1.6m) and surpassed the 56.5 and 155 million yen he pledged for a fish in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Speaking to AFP, the businessman said he was ‘surprised’ that he had to fork out 510.3 million yen for the colossal fish.

“I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it,” Kimura continued.

“I hope that by eating auspicious tuna, as many people as possible will feel energised.”

Kiyoshi Kimura served the fish up for his sushi restaurant customers (Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images)

CNN reported that the expensive tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region widely regarded for producing some of the country’s finest tuna.

Oma tuna, known as kuro-maguro or hon-maguro in Japanese, was once considered threatened due to overfishing for the sushi market.

Thanks to fruitful conservation efforts, reports suggest that stock is recovering, and that the Pacific bluefin tuna is no longer considered a ‘vulnerable’ species.

When asked why he was so obsessed with buying large tunas at new year, Kimura claimed: “It’s in part for good luck.

“But when I see a good looking tuna, I cannot resist … I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”

BBC reported that shortly after the tuna auction concluded, the fish was transported to Kumura’s sushi restaurant and sliced up for customers to enjoy.

One person who ate the animal concluded: “I feel like I've begun the year in a good way after eating something so auspicious as the year starts.”