At 5 a.m. in Tokyo, before most commuters had poured their first cup of coffee, a bell rang at the Toyosu fish market and a single bluefin tuna rewrote auction history. The 243-kilogram fish sold for 510 million yen, or about $3.2 million, at the market’s first auction of the year. The price was so high it eclipsed every previous record within seconds, turning a routine New Year ritual into a global spectacle before sunrise.

Tuna fish turns a dawn auction into a bidding war

The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., which operates the Sushi Zanmai chain, and its president Kiyoshi Kimura, a familiar presence at Tokyo’s New Year auctions. Kimura has made a habit of bidding aggressively for the year’s first tuna, and this time he outdid even himself, surpassing the record he set in 2019. As buyers circled rows of headless, torpedo-shaped fish, the bidding escalated rapidly, driven as much by symbolism as by seafood.

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Why this tuna commanded such an extreme price

The tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a fishing area famed for bluefin prized by top sushi chefs. Before bidding, buyers examined the flesh by sight and touch, judging colour, texture and fat content. At more than $13,000 per kilogram, the price reflected not only quality but also the prestige of securing the single most talked-about fish of the year.

A tradition built on timing, luck and attention

Tokyo’s New Year tuna auction is less about everyday market economics and more about timing and meaning. Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at far lower prices, but the first auction carries a reputation for luck and visibility. This year, the moment arrived quietly, before breakfast, yet the image of one tuna fetching millions travelled the world within hours, once again proving how a dawn ritual can command global attention.