A bluefin tuna with bluefins weighing 243 kg (535 lbs) was sold for a record price of 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the first auction of 2026 at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo. The highest bid for the precious fish at the auction, held before dawn today, was made by "Kimura Co.", whose owner, Kiyoaki Kimura, runs the famous "Sushi Zanmai" restaurant chain. Kimura, who has often won the annual auction in the past, broke his previous record of 334 million yen ($2.1 million), set by himself in 2019. The expensive fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, which is famous for its high-quality tuna. Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at the early morning auction, but prices for Oma tuna are much higher than usual, especially at the celebratory New Year's auction. Due to the popularity of tuna in sushi and sashimi dishes, the Pacific bluefin tuna was once endangered, but its numbers have started to recover thanks to conservation efforts.
