A giant bluefin tuna stole the spotlight at Tokyo’s New Year auction, selling for a staggering sum and setting a new market record.
Kiyomura Corp. Secures the Prize
The 243-kilogram tuna sold for 510 million yen, around €2.78 million, at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market. The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., owned by Kiyoshi Kimura, the founder of the famous Sushi Zanmai chain. Kimura, who has repeatedly dominated the annual auctions, surpassed his own record of 334 million yen from 2019. He admitted afterward that he had hoped to pay less, but “the price shot up before you knew it.”
The Allure of Oma Tuna
The prized fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region celebrated for producing some of the nation’s finest bluefin. At the auction, rows of torpedo-shaped tuna with their tails removed were displayed, allowing bidders to inspect the color, texture, and fat content. The Oma tuna commanded 2.1 million yen (€11,500) per kilogram. Kimura explained the purchase was partly for good luck but admitted that he could not resist such an exceptional specimen, adding, “I haven’t sampled it yet, but it’s got to be delicious.”
Tradition Meets Conservation
While hundreds of tuna are sold at Toyosu every morning, prices spike at the New Year auction, especially for top-quality Oma tuna. Pacific bluefin tuna, once threatened by overfishing and climate change, have seen their populations rebound thanks to conservation efforts, ensuring that Japan can continue to enjoy premium sushi-grade tuna while supporting sustainable fishing practices.
