TOKYO — A prized tuna weighing 535 pounds (243 kilograms) sold for a record $3.2 million (510 million yen) at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Monday at the annual New Year’s tuna auction, according to the Associated Press.
Bidders walked among massive tuna at the predawn event, with Associated Press photographer Louise Delmotte photographing the market scene before dawn.
The top bidder for the prized tuna was Kiyomura Corp., whose owner, Kiyoshi Kimura, runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain.
The tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, an area known for high-quality tuna.
The early morning auction sells hundreds of tuna daily, but the AP reported prices are significantly higher than usual for the Oma tuna at the celebratory New Year’s auction.