A massive 608-pound bluefin tuna, roughly the size of a motorcycle, sold for an impressive $1.3 million (207 million yen) at Tokyo’s annual New Year auction. The fish was purchased by seafood wholesaler Yamayuki and Michelin-starred sushi chain operator Onodera Group, marking the second-highest bid in the event’s history.

Shinji Nagao, president of the Onodera Group, celebrated the symbolic importance of the purchase. “The first tuna is meant to bring good fortune,” he told reporters at the Toyosu market. “Our hope is that by eating this tuna, everyone will have a good year.”

Onodera Group Archives -

The auction’s record-breaking sale occurred in 2019 when Kiyoshi Kimura, nicknamed the “Tuna King”, paid 333.6 million yen ($3.1 million at the time) for a single fish shortly after the iconic Tsukiji Market moved to Toyosu.

Prices dipped in recent years due to limited dining out during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Onodera Group’s five consecutive wins highlight the enduring tradition of extravagant bidding in Japanese seafood auctions.