Bluefin tuna sells for record $2.15m at Tokyo auction
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Winning bidder Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura, poses with a bluefin tuna in front of his Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Fishmongers inspect bluefin tuna before the first trading of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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President of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai, Kiyoshi Kimura, displays a 222kg bluefin tuna at his main restaurant near Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Employees of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai carry a 222kg bluefin tuna from Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to the restaurant on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Fishmongers bow before the first trading of the bluefin tuna of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Fishmongers bow before the first trading of bluefin tuna of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Kiyomura Co's President Kiyoshi Kimura (centre), who runs a chain of sushi restaurants, and men carry a 222kg bluefin tuna in front of his sushi restaurant outside Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo on January 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A bluefin tuna is lifted to a Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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A bluefin tuna is carried to the Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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A bluefin tuna is carried to the Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Kiyomura Co's employees push a cart carrying a 222kg bluefin tuna outside Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co. center top, walks with a bluefin tuna, heading to his Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Winning bidder Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura, poses with a bluefin tuna in front of his Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Fishmongers inspect bluefin tuna before the first trading of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
President of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai, Kiyoshi Kimura, displays a 222kg bluefin tuna at his main restaurant near Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Employees of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai carry a 222kg bluefin tuna from Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market to the restaurant on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Fishmongers bow before the first trading of the bluefin tuna of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Fishmongers bow before the first trading of bluefin tuna of the new year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Kiyomura Co's President Kiyoshi Kimura (centre), who runs a chain of sushi restaurants, and men carry a 222kg bluefin tuna in front of his sushi restaurant outside Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo on January 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A bluefin tuna is lifted to a Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
A bluefin tuna is carried to the Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
A bluefin tuna is carried to the Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Kiyomura Co's employees push a cart carrying a 222kg bluefin tuna outside Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co. center top, walks with a bluefin tuna, heading to his Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo Saturday, on Jan 5, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
TOKYO (AP) - A Bluefin tuna has sold for a record US$1.76 million (S$2.15million) at a Tokyo auction, nearly three times the previous high set last year.
In the year's first auction at Tokyo's sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the 222-kg tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen (S$2.15million), said Mr Ryoji Yagi, a market official.
The fish's tender red meat is prized for sushi, but Bluefin tuna stocks have fallen globally over the past 15 years amid overfishing.
The winning bidder, Mr Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co., which operates the Sushi-Zanmai restaurant chain, said "the price was a bit high," but that he wanted to "give Japan a boost," according to Kyodo News agency.
