Bluefin tuna sells for record US$3.2 million at year-opening auction at Tokyo fish market
The pricey fish, caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, costs 2.1 million yen (US$13,360) per kilogram.
Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura, poses with the bluefin tuna that won the highest bid at the annual New Year auction in Tokyo on Jan 5, 2026. (Photo: AP/Louise Delmotte)
TOKYO: A 243kg bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen (US$3.2 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.
The top bidder for the prized tuna at the predawn auction on Monday (Jan 5) was Kiyomura, whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain.
Kimura, who has often won the annual action in the past, broke the previous record of 334 million yen he set in 2019.
"I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it," Kimura said after the auction.
"I was surprised at the price ... I hope that by eating auspicious tuna, as many people as possible will feel energised," he told reporters.
The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, known as home to the high-quality tuna, and costs 2.1 million yen (US$13,360) per kilogram.
Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at the early morning auction, but prices are significantly higher than usual for the Oma tuna, especially at the celebratory New Year auction.
Due to the popularity of tuna for sushi and sashimi, Pacific bluefin tuna was previously a threatened species, but its stock is recovering following conservation efforts.
