Tuna fish sells for $1.3M at Tokyo auction

Onodera Group, a food service company operating high-quality sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, and makiyaki restaurants across three regions, purchased the largest tuna at Tokyo’s annual New Year tuna auction for $1.3 million.

$1.3 million for a tuna fish

Onodera Group, which owns Michelin-starred sushi restaurants, announced the purchase of a large bluefin tuna for $1.3 million (207 million yen). The tuna is about the size and weight of a motorbike, weighing 276 kilograms (608 pounds).

Notably, this is the second-highest price ever paid at a fish market auction since 1999.

Shinji Nagao, Onodera spokesperson, said: “The first tuna is something meant to bring in good fortune. Our wish is that people will eat this and have a wonderful year.”

It is worth noting that Onodera Group paid $863,636 (114 million yen) last year for a tuna fish. The highest auction price ever for a bluefin tuna fish was in 2019, when the fish sold for $2.5 million (333.6 million yen) and weighed about 278 kilograms.

The tuna auction received significant attention from Japanese media, as the fish market has been experiencing strong revenues following the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to citizens dining at their homes more frequently and avoiding raw and cooked meals at restaurants.