Tokyo’s $3.2M Tuna Auction May Have Stolen This Week’s Spotlight – But True Sushi Fans Stick to These Spots

A colossal Pacific bluefin tuna, weighing 535lb, sold for an unprecedented ¥510m (approx. $3.2m) at the year’s first auction, shattering previous records and reigniting global fascination with Japan’s tuna trade.

The winning bid came from Kiyomura Corp., the operator of the ubiquitous Sushi Zanmai chain, helmed by “Tuna King” Kiyoshi Kimura, who has become synonymous with high-stakes tuna auctions over the past decade. Beyond the headline-grabbing figure, the sale highlights Tokyo’s deep cultural reverence for bluefin tuna, especially fish sourced from Ōma in northern Japan, widely regarded as the pinnacle of tuna quality.

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