Premium yellowtail fetches ¥4 mil.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

2:00 JST, December 6, 2022

KANAZAWA – A high-end “Kirameki” yellowtail fish has netted its catchers ¥4 million at a Kanazawa auction.

Members of the Ishikawa Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association were looking for fish that fulfilled the criteria for Kirameki certification at the auction on Thursday, but only one — a 15.5-kilogram, 94-centimeter-long specimen — was recognized.

Kirameki-certified winter yellowtail are recognized as premium quality among those sold under the brand Tennen Noto Kan Buri (Wild winter yellowtail caught in Ishikawa Prefecture), which was registered as a trademark in 2006.

Kirameki fish must meet strict criteria, such as weighing at least 14 kilograms and having sufficient girth without blemishes.

On the day, 10 fish caught by 18 set-net fishery operators were examined for possible certification. The Kirameki-certified yellowtail was landed by fishermen from Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

The winning bidder was an affiliate of Dontaku Co., which operates supermarkets in the city.

“We wanted to deliver Noto Peninsula’s best fish to supermarkets in the area,” said Dontaku President Munehiro Yamaguchi, 39.