A 243kg bluefin tuna has sold for a record 510 million yen (NZ$5.6 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.
The top bidder for the prized tuna at the predawn auction on Monday was Kiyomura Corp, whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain.
Kimura, who has often won the annual action in the past, broke the previous record of 334 million yen (NZ$3.68 million) he set in 2019.
The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, known as home to the high-quality tuna, and costs 2.1 million yen (NZ$23,190) per kg.
Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at the early morning auction, but prices are significantly higher than usual for the Oma tuna, especially at the celebratory New Year auction.
Due to the popularity of tuna for sushi and sashimi, Pacific bluefin tuna was previously a threatened species, but its stock is recovering following conservation efforts.
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