This massive tuna set a new record with $3.2 million price tag at auction

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A giant bluefin tuna, weighing 243 kilograms (over 535 pounds), recently sold for a record $3.2 million at the first fish auction of 2026 in Tokyo. The winning bid was 510 million yen.

The first tuna auction of the year happened early on January 5th at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market. It’s a yearly event where wholesalers and high-end sushi restaurants compete to buy the best tuna of the season.

Although this special fish will ultimately be enjoyed by diners, the initial auction is more about status and attention than the actual price of the fish. People pay a lot extra for the honor of making the first purchase of the year and gaining positive publicity.

243kg tuna sells for a record-breaking $3.2 million

The Independent reports that Kiyomura Corp., the company behind the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain and owned by Kiyoshi Kimura, won the auction. Kimura paid a record price, surpassing his previous high of 334 million yen (about $2.1 million) paid for a tuna in 2019.

Tuna fetches record $3.2 million at Tokyo New Year auction

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Although tuna prices rose again in recent auctions, reaching 207 million yen in 2025, none of these sales were as large as the one in 2026. The price per kilogram worked out to a staggering $13,000.

This huge price is more about publicity than the actual worth of the fish. These record-breaking bids are essentially global advertisements for the restaurants involved, rather than reflecting the fish’s true value. Regardless, it’s a remarkable amount of money for a truly exceptional fish.

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2026-01-05 19:48