A single bluefin tuna has rewritten the record books at Tokyo’s famed New Year fish auction, fetching more than half a billion yen in a sale that blended tradition, optimism and renewed confidence in the global seafood industry.
Picture: Christopher Dengsø/ X
At the heart of the moment was a 243kg bluefin tuna, landed off Japan’s northern coast and sold at the pre-dawn auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.
The winning bid, an unprecedented 510 million yen, or about $3.2 million, eclipsed all previous highs recorded since data collection began in 1999.
Coverage from international wire services noted that the top bid came from Kiyomura Corp, the company behind the well-known Sushizanmai restaurant chain. The group has become a regular headline-maker at New Year auctions, often pushing prices into record territory.
Speaking shortly after the hammer fell, company chief Kiyoshi Kimura said he had expected the price to settle far lower.
‘I thought that the winning bid would come in a little bit lower, maybe around 400 million or 300 million yen but it turned out to be over 500 million,’ he said.
Kimura, often dubbed the ‘Tuna King’, framed the bid as more than a business move.
‘I hope the economy will get better this year,’ he said, referencing Japan’s new administration under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. ‘I hope this bid will cheer everyone up.’
The sale surpassed Kiyomura’s own previous record of 333.6 million yen, set in 2019 shortly after Tokyo’s wholesale fish market relocated from Tsukiji to the modern Toyosu facility, as per Reuters.
Last year’s top tuna sold for 207 million yen, underscoring the scale of this year’s leap.
Reporting by The South African highlighted that the winning fish would be transported to Sushizanmai’s flagship branch before being prepared and distributed across the chain’s outlets nationwide.
Despite the eye-watering purchase price, Kimura said the tuna dishes would be sold to customers at standard menu prices.
Beyond the spectacle, the auction has reignited discussion around the health of bluefin tuna stocks. Dave Gershman, from the Pew Charitable Trusts’ international fisheries team, pointed to the sale as a sign of cautious optimism.
He said Pacific bluefin stocks had once been ‘near collapse’ but were now improving following a 2017 recovery plan. In a statement shared after the auction, Gershman noted that ‘the recovery plan is working’ and stressed the importance of further action by fisheries managers in 2026 to secure long-term sustainability.
The New Year auction has long served as both a cultural ritual and an economic barometer for Japan’s seafood trade. During the Covid-19 pandemic, top prices fell sharply as restaurants scaled back operations.
This year’s record-breaking bid, however, suggests renewed momentum, not just for sushi counters, but for confidence across the sector.
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