Japanese sushi chain pays $3.24 million for bluefin tuna at Tokyo auction

A Japanese sushi restaurant chain broke records on Monday when it paid a staggering $3.24 million (510 million yen) for a bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s famous New Year’s fish auction.

The largest bidder for the prized 536-pound tuna was Kiyomura, the Tokyo-based operator of the famous Sushi Zanmai sushi restaurant chain. The bid broke the previous record set by Kiyomura of $2.1 million (333.6 million yen) in 2019.

Kiyoshi Kimura, owner of Kiyoshi Kimura, told reporters that he did not expect to pay so much for the fish, but “the price went up before you knew it.”

“I thought (the winning bid) would come in at a little less, maybe around 400 million or 300 million yen, but it turned out to be more than 500 million,” Kimura, known as the “Tuna King,” told reporters.

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The prized fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, an area famous for producing some of the best tuna in the country. It fetched about $13,360 (2.1 million yen) per kilogram, or approximately $6,060 per pound.

president of Kiyoshi Kimura, stands behind a huge bluefin tuna"/>

Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyoshi Kimura, prepares to cut a 243-kilogram bluefin tuna that was auctioned off for a record 510 million yen ($3.24 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market, at his sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, on January 5. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters Photos)

“This is partly due to good luck,” Kimura said. “But when I see a good-looking tuna, I can’t resist… I haven’t tasted it yet, but it should be delicious.”

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The massive tuna was transported to Sushizanmai’s main restaurant, then cut into fillets and distributed to locations across the country. Kimura said the tuna will be offered to customers at standard menu prices.

Kiyoshi Kimura cuts meat from a 243-kilogram bluefin tuna that sold at auction for a record 510 million yen ($3.24 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo, at his sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, on January 5, 2026. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters Photos)

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“I hope the economy will improve this year. The Takaichi administration has pledged to work, work, work, so Soshizanmai will work, work, work too,” Kimura said, referring to the new government of Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister. “I hope this show pleases everyone.”

Reuters contributed to this report.