TOKYO • A giant bluefin tuna was yesterday sold for 20.8 million yen (S$267,000) in the ceremonial first auction of the year at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market, a price just a tenth of last year's bid.
The 208kg tuna, caught off Oma in northern Japan, was sold for 100,000 yen per kg, according to Mr Masahiro Miura, an official at the Tokyo market.
The drop reflects a slump in demand as the coronavirus pandemic forces people to refrain from eating out and as the authorities ask restaurants in some urban areas to close early.
The auction also comes at a time when a state of emergency is being considered for Tokyo and surrounding areas as daily virus cases hover at record highs.
Japanese wholesaler Yamayuki won the auction, the Nikkei newspaper reported.
The price for the closely watched bluefin New Year auction had been soaring in recent years amid intensifying competition.
Kiyomura Corp, which runs the Sushizanmai restaurant chain across Japan, paid a record 333.6 million yen in 2019. The firm said it refrained from bidding high this year to avoid customers flocking to its restaurants despite social distancing guidelines.
This year's tuna is being cut and will be served at the sushi restaurant Ginza Onodera.
BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
