Sushi restaurant buys tuna for $1.3 million.

Boden F.

January 10, 2025

A 608 pound bluefin tuna the size of a motorcycle was sold at an annual fish auction at Toyosu fish market in Tokyo.

The tuna was sold for 1.3 million dollars and Michelin-starred sushi restaurateurs Onodera Group claimed the fish on January 5. Organizers say that the bid was the second highest since the event began in 1999. The Onodera Group has won the auction five years in a row. Company President, Shinji Nagao told reporters at the market right after the auction, “The first tuna is meant to bring good fortune. Our hope is that by eating this tuna everyone will have a good year.”

Vendors from across the country put up their best catches for auction at the market almost every morning of the week. But the new year auction carries a special meaning for bidders who converge to compete for the honor of claiming the first batch of the year.

The tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in the northeastern region of Aomori. The fisherman behind the catch, Masahiro Takeuchi, described to Japanese media how “unbelievably happy” he was. “I’m always worried about how many more years I’ll be able to keep fishing like this,” said the 73 year old, according to national broadcaster NHK. The fish market was first opened in 1935 and originally opened in Tsukiji and was one of Tokyo’s most popular travel destinations.

Bluefin are the largest tuna and can live up to 40 years. The endangered species migrate across all oceans, can weigh 1,500 pounds and reach 10 feet in length.

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