The Onodera Group sushi restaurant in Japan has paid €1.28 million at auction for a 276-kilogram tuna caught in Omi, in the northern province of Aomori.
“It is believed that the first tuna of the New Year brings good fortune,” Shinji Nagao, director of the Michelin-starred restaurant, told reporters.
The record price for tuna at a Japanese auction was set in 2019 when a 278-kilogram fish sold for €2.7 million.
Sellers from across the country present their finest catches at the fish auction, and the prestigious New Year’s auction holds special significance for bidders, who compete for the honor of securing the first major purchase of the year.