The traditional event marking the New Year took place in the morning of the 5th at the Toyosu Market in Tokyo: the first auction of tuna. Known as Japan’s largest fish market, the Toyosu Market steals the spotlight every year with the first auction of the New Year.

Just after 5 in the morning, the ringing of a bell signaled the start of the auction. Among the taut tunas, the one crowned as the ‘number one tuna’ was a bluefin from Oma, Aomori Prefecture. This massive tuna weighing 238 kilograms was secured for an astonishingly high bid of 114.24 million yen.

Bluefin tuna from Oma, Aomori Prefecture are always traded at a high price due to their exceptional quality, but the price that day was about three times higher than the previous year’s. The ‘number two tuna’, also auctioned at the Toyosu Market, along with 11 other tunas were purchased in the New Year’s auction.

The first auction at Toyosu Market is a significant event signaling the start of the New Year’s business. The fact that fresh tunas are bid at high prices reflects the fishmongers’ hopes for a prosperous start to the year and the level of attention this annual event receives. The auctions at Toyosu Market will continue to bring fresh flavors and vitality to our dining habits in the future.