A giant bluefin tuna has rewritten the record books at Tokyo’s famous Toyosu fish market, selling for an astonishing 510 million yen, about 2.78 million euros, at the first auction of 2026.
A prized catch and a familiar buyer
The massive fish weighed 243 kilograms and was snapped up by Kiyomura Corp, the company behind the popular Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain. Its owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, is no stranger to headline grabbing bids and once again outdid himself, breaking the previous record he set in 2019.
Speaking after the auction, Kimura admitted he had hoped to secure the tuna for less money. “The price shot up before you knew it,” he said with a smile. Even so, he had no regrets about the purchase, which he described as impossible to resist once he saw the quality of the fish.
Inside the famous dawn auction
The sale took place in the early hours of Monday morning as the traditional bell signalled the start of bidding. Rows of enormous, torpedo shaped tuna filled the market floor, their tails trimmed so buyers could closely inspect the colour, texture and fattiness of the meat.
The record breaking tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, an area renowned for producing some of the country’s finest bluefin. At roughly 2.1 million yen per kilogram, it far exceeded the prices paid for most tuna sold at the market, even though hundreds are auctioned there every day.
Good luck, prestige and sustainability
Kimura explained that paying a premium at the New Year auction is partly about tradition and good fortune. “It’s in part for good luck,” he said. “I haven’t tasted it yet, but it has to be delicious.”
Bluefin tuna holds a special place in Japanese cuisine, particularly for sushi and sashimi. Its popularity once pushed the species into threatened territory due to overfishing and climate pressures. However, conservation measures in recent years have helped stocks recover, offering some reassurance even as eye catching prices continue to dominate headlines each New Year.
