Motorbike-sized tuna sells for record Rs 11 crore at Tokyo auction

This is the second-highest price ever recorded for the auction of bluefin tuna since the New Year event was first conducted in Japan in 1999.

The highest-ever auction price reached 333.6 million yen for a 278kg bluefin tuna in 2019 (Image source: @surgeonwaqas/X)

In a New Year tradition that has gained popularity in Japan over the years, the Onodera Group, a Michelin-starred sushi chain, paid a staggering 207 million yen ($1.3 million or Rs 11 crore) for a bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s renowned fish market auction. The giant 276-kilogram tuna, roughly the size and weight of a motorbike, secured the second-highest price ever recorded at the event since its inception in 1999.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the same bidder secured the highest bid, drawing media attention across Japan. “The first tuna is symbolic of bringing good fortune,” Shinji Nagao, an Onodera official, told reporters after the auction, The Guardian reported. “Our hope is that people enjoy it and have a fantastic year ahead,” Nagao added. Last year, the Onodera Group spent 114 million yen (over Rs 6 crore) for the top tuna.

According to BBC News, the Onodera Group said the tuna would be served at its Michelin-starred Ginza Onodera restaurants and Nadaman restaurants across Japan.

🎣 276 Kg Bluefin tuna fetched record 207 million yen ($1.3 million) by Onodera Group at annual New Year auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market

2nd-highest price ever for tuna at auction, which is famous for its early-morning sales pic.twitter.com/cn5jKM8WbR

— Dr. Waqas 🩺 (@surgeonwaqas) January 6, 2025

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The highest-ever auction price fetched by a bluefin tuna was 333.6 million yen (over Rs 18 crore) for a 278 kg specimen in 2019, coinciding with the fish market’s relocation from its historic Tsukiji site to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Toyosu. The record-breaking bid was made by Kiyoshi Kimura, known as the ‘Tuna King’, who runs the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain across Japan.

As per the World Wildlife Fund, bluefin – the largest and most expensive category of tuna – can live up to 40 years. There are three species of bluefin: Atlantic, Pacific and Southern. Atlantic bluefin tuna is said to be the largest and most endangered. In the culinary world, bluefin tuna is used in dishes like sushi and sashimi.

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