The fish in question was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region that is renowned for its high-quality tuna fish. According to a report by AP, tuna fish costs $13,360 per kilogram in the Oma region
A bluefin tuna fish weighing 243 kilograms was sold for a whopping $3.2 million during an auction in Japan’s Toyosu fish market. The much-sought-after fish was purchased by Kiyomura Corp, whose owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, runs the famous Sushi Zanmai chain across Japan.
“I hope the economy will get better this year. The Takaichi administration pledged to work, work, work, so Sushizanmai will work, work, work too,” said Kiyomura chief Kiyoshi Kimura, referring to the 2-1/2-month-old government of Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister. “I hope this bid will cheer everyone up.”
Japan and its fish auctioneering
The fish in question was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region that is renowned for its high-quality tuna fish. According to a report by AP, tuna fish costs $13,360 per kilogram in the Oma region.
At the early-morning auction, hundreds of tuna are sold each day in Japan, but fish from the Oma region consistently command much higher prices, particularly during the celebratory New Year auction.
The eye-popping bid beat Kiyomura’s own previous record of 333.6 million yen in 2019.
“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,” Kimura, known as the “Tuna King”, told reporters.
The giant tuna was transported to Sushizanmai’s head branch, then sliced up and distributed to its restaurants nationwide. The tuna dishes will be sold to customers at the usual price, Kimura said.
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