14 Million Yen for a 200kg Tuna Fish

Well, it's a New Year's festive quotation, so don't you be surprised. But, you will be, though, if told of a sum of 14 million yen paid for a tuna fish 200 kilograms in weight. The deal was made in the course of bidding at Tokyo's Central Fish Market in Tsukiji, January 5. A kilo of tuna fish for 70,000 yen - roughly 2.8 times the highest bid last year. A Sushi Chainstore "Sushi Zanmai" was the tender winner - in fact, for five years in a row.

The Fish Market in Tsukiji moves to a new location in Toyosu this November and this was the last fish auction taking place in Tsujiki.
The bell tolled and the market opened at 5 o'clock in the morning, January 5, with lively bidding calls. The giant tuna fish in question had come all the way from Oma, Aomori. President Kyoshi Kimura of Sushi Zanmai was glad the fish was super in shape, color, and fattiness. He said he would serve the fish at his store that afternoon in the market compound.

The highest bid last year was 4.5 million yen for a 180.4-kilo tuna fish. In 2013, a Hong Kong Sushi dealer joined the bidding and challenged Sushi Zanmai way up to short of 155.5 million for a 222 kg tuna fish. The same Hong Kong dealer shied away since 2014 onward.

Meanwhile, the Ohta Produce Market, Tokyo, had a produce auction where the traditional "Takarabune (Treasure Ships)" mounting season's greens on wooden boats were best-priced at 150,000 yen for large, 100,000 for medium and 50,000 for small. The highest bid was the same as in 2015. Yokohama's Komatsu Farm shipped 17 ships this year. Radishes were overgrown this winter and a Komatsu Farm staff told "it was a kind of hard to balance the cargo".

News Source: Nikkei Shinbum