Last year, the first tuna at the auction was bought for 207 million yen by Onodera Group

TOKYO (AP) — A massive 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen ($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 was Kiyomura Corp., whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura, who has won the annual action many times in the past, broke the previous record of 334 million yen ($2.1 million) he set in 2019. The winning bid for the 243kg fish came from Kiyomura Corp, the operator of popular sushi chain Sushi Zanmai, which has outlets across the country and abroad.

The year's first tuna brings good luck,

"The year's first tuna brings good luck," said Kiyoshi Kimura, the company's president and a familiar figure at the annual new year's auction, Kyodo reported. Mr Kimura, who has been dubbed the Tuna King, is known to bid high for bluefin tuna at new year's auctions.Kimura later told reporters he was hoping to pay a bit less for it, but “the price shot up before you knew it.” The entrepreneur told reporters after the auction that he was "surprised at the price", AFP reported. "I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it," he said.

Another historic price. 

Mr Kimura paid 56.5 million yen for a bluefin tuna in 2012 and 155 million yen in 2013 - setting record prices both times.In 2019 he bought a bluefin tuna with 333.6 million yen ($2.1m; £1.6m) - another historic price. Despite telling reporters at the time that he thought he "did too much", however, Mr Kimura has now gone on to break his own record again The first auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market typically sees fish selling for exorbitant prices.

first tuna at the auction was bought for 207 million yen

Last year, the first tuna at the auction was bought for 207 million yen by Onodera Group, another food company that owns a sushi chain. It said that the fish would be served at its restaurants across the country. The frenetic energy at fish markets during such pre-dawn auctions has become a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started at around 05:00 local time (20:00 GMT), was no exception. The million-dollar tuna was sliced up for customers at Kimura's sushi restaurants shortly after it was auctioned off. "I feel like I've begun the year in a good way after eating something so auspicious as the year starts," one of the customers at Mr Kimura's restaurant told AFP.

The coast of Oma in northern Japan

The auction started when the bell rang, and the floor was filled with torpedo-shaped fish with their tails cut off so bidders could examine meat details such as color, texture and fattiness while walking around the rows of tuna. The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region widely regarded for producing some of the country’s finest tuna, and costs 2.1 million yen ($13,360) per kilogram ($6,060 per pound).

“It’s in part for good luck,” Kimura said. “But when I see a good looking tuna, I cannot resist ... I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”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 due to climate change and overfishing, but its stock is recovering following conservation efforts.

Why this tuna commanded such an extreme price

The tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a fishing area famed for bluefin prized by top sushi chefs. Before bidding, buyers examined the flesh by sight and touch, judging colour, texture and fat content. At more than $13,000 per kilogram, the price reflected not only quality but also the prestige of securing the single most talked-about fish of the year.

A tradition built on timing, luck and attention

Tokyo’s New Year tuna auction is less about everyday market economics and more about timing and meaning. Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at far lower prices, but the first auction carries a reputation for luck and visibility. This year, the moment arrived quietly, before breakfast, yet the image of one tuna fetching millions travelled the world within hours, once again proving how a dawn ritual can command global attention.

Related : Restaurant buys fish a 276kg for more than a million dollars

#Bluefin tuna #New Year tuna auction #coast of Oma # Kiyoshi Kimura #Tokyo fish market #Oma tuna #Sushi Zanmai chain.