New Year’s ‘No. 1 Tuna’ Hauls in Record ¥510 Million at Toyosu Market, Sushizanmai to Serve Fish at Main Restaurant

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:33 JST, January 5, 2026

The New Year’s tuna auction took place at the Toyosu Market in Koto Ward, Tokyo, on Monday, and a tuna caught off Oma, Aomori Prefecture, fetched ¥510.3 million, the highest price on record since 1999.

The 243-kilogram tuna was purchased by Tsukiji Kiyomura, the operator of franchise sushi restaurant Sushizanmai. The winning bid was 1.5 times higher than the previous record of ¥333.6 million in another bid by the company in 2019.

“I was so surprised to see the price going up and up,” said Kiyoshi Kimura, 73, the president of Tsukiji Kiyomura. “I hope as many people as possible will eat this tuna and feel uplifted.”

The “No. 1 tuna” was later brought to Sushizanmai’s main restaurant in Tsukiji in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, where it would be cut up and served to customers. A piece of akami red meat tuna sushi will be priced at ¥398, a piece of chutoro fatty tuna sushi at ¥498, and a piece of otoro very fatty tuna sushi at ¥598.

The big tuna was caught by Toyokazu Ito, 60, of Oma.

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s like a dream come true. The ¥500 million price doesn’t sound real, and I’m so amazed. I hope many people will taste the tuna from Oma,” he said happily.