A bluefin tuna fish was sold for a record price at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market on Monday morning, making headlines all over the world. The fish fetched a record 510.3 million yen ($3.2m) at the auction. This was the first auction of the market this year.
Tuna King's record buy
Kiyomura Corp won the bid for the 243 kg fish. The company operates the popular sushi chain Sushi Zanmai. The company's president, Kiyoshi Kimura, is known as the 'Tuna King.' He said, "The year's first tuna brings good luck," BBC reported. Kimura, a known face at tuna auctions, is popular for bidding high prices at the New Year's fish auction.
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AFP reported that Kimura was 'surprised' at the price the fish fetched. He said, "I'd thought we would be able to buy a little cheaper, but the price soared before you knew it."
Kiyoshi Kimura's records
In 2012, a bluefin tuna was bought by Kimura for 56.5 million yen. He paid a record 155 million yen in 2013 for that year's New Year's auction. The 'Tuna King' paid 333.6 million yen ($2.1m) for a bluefin tuna. The auction at Tokyo's Toyosu at the beginning of the year is known for fetching huge prices for fish.
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Another sushi chain operator, Onodera Group, had bought the first tuna last year for a whopping 207 million yen. They had claimed that the fish would be served at all their restaurants. This year, shortly after Kimura bought the humongous bluefin tuna for an even greater price, the fish was divided to be distributed among his chain's restaurants.
