A curious news story went viral in recent days after a giant bluefin tuna was sold for over 1.3 million dollars in Japan this past Sunday. On the occasion of the traditional New Year’s tuna auction in Tokyo, the giant fish was sold to a famous restaurant in the Japanese capital.
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This sale represents the second highest amount ever reached in these auctions, fueling hopes for the country's economic recovery. "‘He was as fat as a cow’," commented 73-year-old fisherman Masahiro Takeuchi, describing the moment he saw the giant tuna hanging from his longline.
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Who bought the giant tuna that was auctioned for 1.3 million dollars?
The prestigious sushi restaurant Onodera Group, recognized by the Michelin guide, paid 207 million yen (1.3 million dollars and 1.28 million euros) for the 276-kilogram fish, which was caught in Oma, in the northern province of Aomori.
"Supposedly, the first tuna brings good luck," said Shinji Nagao, general manager of Onodera Food Service, to reporters after the auction. "Our wish is for people to eat it and have a wonderful year," he added.
This is not the first time that Onodera Group has acquired the prestigious 'treasure' of the traditional tuna auction in Japan, as last year they paid almost half (114 million yen) for their tuna piece.
However, the record sum remains that of 333.6 million yen (2.7 million euros, almost 2.8 million dollars) for a 278-kilogram fish in 2019, paid by the self-proclaimed “tuna king” Kiyoshi Kimura, who operates the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain in his country and has long “reigned” at this symbolic event in Japan.