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4d ago

Kiyomura Sets Record ¥510.3 Million for New Year Bluefin at Tokyo’s Toyosu Auction

The spectacle reflects a price rebound linked to recovering Pacific bluefin stocks under a 2017 management plan.

Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co., poses with the bluefin tuna that won the highest bid at the annual New Year auction in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
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Overview

  • Kiyomura Corp paid ¥510.3 million (about $3.2 million) for a 243‑kilogram bluefin on Jan. 5, the highest New Year auction price since comparable records began in 1999.
  • The fish was caught off Oma in Aomori prefecture; company president Kiyoshi Kimura said he was surprised by the final price and framed the purchase as auspicious.
  • The tuna was taken to Sushizanmai’s head branch, cut, and distributed to restaurants nationwide, with portions offered at regular menu prices.
  • Top bids at the ceremonial first auction have rebounded after pandemic lows, rising from ¥36.0 million in 2023 to ¥114.2 million in 2024 and ¥207.0 million in 2025, drawing large crowds including tourists.
  • Pew’s Dave Gershman says the 2017 Pacific bluefin recovery plan is working and urges fisheries managers to agree a long‑term sustainable management framework in 2026.