A giant bluefin tuna stole the spotlight at Tokyo’s first auction of 2026, fetching a record-breaking price and cementing the annual New Year event as a spectacle of tradition, skill, and high-stakes bidding.
A Tuna That Made History
A 243-kilogram Pacific bluefin tuna sold for 510 million yen, roughly €2.78 million, at the predawn auction at Toyosu fish market. The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura has a history of making headlines at these auctions, and this year he surpassed his own 2019 record of 334 million yen.
Speaking after the sale, Kimura admitted he had hoped to pay a little less, but the bidding “shot up before you knew it.” For him, the purchase is partly a matter of good luck for the year ahead, but he also couldn’t resist a tuna of such exceptional quality.
Why Oma Tuna Commands Top Prices
The prized fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region famed for producing some of the finest tuna in the country. Bidders examined hundreds of torpedo-shaped fish laid out on the auction floor, tails removed to allow inspection of color, texture, and fat content. The winning tuna cost about 2.1 million yen (€11,500) per kilogram, reflecting its superior quality.
Kimura described the tuna as irresistible, saying, “I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.” The New Year auction is known for pushing prices higher than usual, especially for premium catches from Oma, where the fish are prized by top sushi chefs.
Tradition, Demand, and Conservation
While hundreds of tuna are sold at Toyosu every morning, the New Year auction is a special occasion, blending tradition, luck, and competition. Pacific bluefin tuna were once considered a threatened species due to overfishing and climate change, but conservation efforts have helped their populations recover.
With demand for high-quality sushi and sashimi remaining strong, the annual auction not only sets records but also celebrates Japan’s cultural connection to the sea and its prized seafood.
