Motorcycle -sized tuna achieves over $ 1 million at auction

Motorcycle -sized tuna achieves over $ 1 million at auction

A bluke-thunfish that is about the size of a motorcycle, was sold for $ 1.3 million (207 million yen) on Japan's most renowned fish market. The second highest price in history was achieved in the New Year's Extension.

New Year's exemption in Tokyo

The Michelin star crown Sushi Restaurant group Onodera has acquired the 608 pound (276 kilogram) with its bid of one million dollars at the Toyosu Fischmarkt in Tokyo on January 5, reported the Japanese news agency Kyodo.

record prices for tuna

This bid has been the second highest price since the world's largest seafood-wholesale market market data recorded in 1999. The highest price ever recorded is $ 3.1 million (333.6 million yen) for a 278-kilogram tuna in 2019.

special importance of the New Year's Office

Seller from all over the country offer their best catches for the auction on most morning of the week. But the prestigious New Year's advertisement has a special meaning for the bidders who gather in order to show the ambition to get the first catch of the year.

"The first tuna of the year brings happiness. We want people to smile through our food," said Shinji Nagao, President of Sushi Onodera, cited by Kyodo.

success for the sushi onodera group

The group is behind the Michelin star crowned Sushi Ginza Onodera chain with restaurants in Tokyo and Los Angeles. It is the fifth year in a row that the Onodera Group paid the maximum price; Last year, she spent over $ 720,000 (114.2 million yen) for a blue-finished tuna at the auction, as stated on the website of Sushi Ginza Onodera.

catcher and fishing area

The latest catch was caught in the northeastern Prefecture of Aomori off the coast of Grandma, reports Kyodo. The fisherman behind this catch, Masahiro Takeuchi, described against Japanese media how "incredibly happy" he was.

"I am always worried about how many years I can continue fishing," said the 73-year-old according to the national broadcaster NHK.

history of the fish market

The fish market, which was opened in 1935, was originally in Tsukiji and was one of Tokyo most popular travel destinations. In October 2019 he was moved to the nearby artificial island of Toyosu. The move met with mixed reactions: supporters were happy about the better facilities, while critics criticized the loss of the iconic location.

The endangered blue-finish tuna

Blaufen-Tunfischen are the largest of their kind and can live up to 40 years. According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), these endangered animals migrate across all oceans, reach a weight of up to £ 1,500 and a length of up to 3 meters. In recent decades, the stocks have decreased sharply due to overfishing and illegal fishing, as the WWF reported.