By KAZUKI ENDO/ Staff Writer
January 5, 2026 at 18:05 JST
A bluefin tuna caught off Oma, Aomori Prefecture, netted a new record-high bid at the first auction of 2026 at the Toyosu wholesale fish market in Tokyo’s Koto Ward early on Jan. 5.
Kiyomura, the company that operates the Sushizanmai sushi chain, placed a winning bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2 million) for the 243-kilogram tuna at the auction. The new record soundly beat the previous high of 333.6 million yen set in 2019.
“I am so surprised. I thought it might stop somewhere around 400 million yen,” said Kiyomura President Kiyoshi Kimura of the bidding. “I wanted to make a big splash to help lead the world. I hope many people will enjoy the tuna and feel energized.”
This also marked the first time Kiyomura won the auction in six years. Intermediate wholesaler Yamayuki secured the coveted first tuna for five consecutive years on behalf of the Onodera Group, which operates the high-end Ginza Onodera sushi restaurants.
The market's atmosphere turned electric with excitement and surprise as the bidding war between Yamayuki and Kiyomura drove the price higher after the auction kicked off at 5:10 a.m.
Winning bids for the first tuna at the New Year's auction have been on an upward trend in recent years after temporarily dropping during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s top bid fetched 207 million yen.
Oma tuna is widely known for its exceptional quality and the hard-won prize will be served at Sushizanmai restaurants nationwide starting today, priced between 398 and 598 yen per piece, excluding tax.
The year's first auction at the Toyosu market also saw a new record set for purple sea urchin from Hakodate, Hokkaido, with a top bid of 35 million yen for 400 grams. This is a dramatic leap from last year’s 7 million yen.
No record price at tuna auction as top bidders eye different fish
January 5, 2022
Bluefin tuna sells for low pandemic price at Toyosu’s 1st 2021 auction
January 5, 2021
Bluefin fetches 207 million yen at 1st auction of 2025 in Tokyo
January 5, 2025
Bluefin sells for 36 million yen at first fish auction of the year
January 5, 2023
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Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Corp., poses with the bluefin tuna won at the year's first auction after it was delivered to Sushizanmai’s flagship restaurant in the Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward on Jan. 5. (Sayuri Ide)
