As some of you may have known earlier, there are many fun activities you can engage in at the beginning of the new year, much like the highly anticipated tuna auction that starts every January. The Toyosu Fish Market has successfully captured people’s attention in the past, and this year is undoubtedly no different.
Toyosu Fish Market
The Toyosu Fish Market is a wholesale fishery market in a Japanese neighborhood called Toyosu in Koto, Tokyo. The market provides a diverse selection of fish for everyone, not just people in the fishing industry. One thing the market is famous for is its fish auction. It is an annual and the largest fish auction in the world. The focal point of the auction is the various Bluefin Tuna sales, which are eminent as the most expensive tuna. Typically, there is one tuna that will cost a fortune.
2024 Fish Auction
Last year, the tuna fish auction hit an astonishing price. It was valued at IDR 4 billion, or about US$273,000 and ¥36,000,000 for an enormous 212-kilogram Bluefin Tuna. The auction was held on January 5th, 2023, and it was the first auction of the year. The occasion kept on attracting international Japanese food enthusiasts, as well as the locals.
The group to win this first fish auction in 2024 was the Onodera Sushi Restaurant Group. It wasn’t Onodera’s first win, as the team has been the winning bidder of the top fish for four straight years. The group purchased about IDR 12,2 billion or ¥114,200,000 for a 238-kilogram Bluefin Tuna to serve the luxury delicacies to its customers at the restaurant, Ginza Onodera Sushi, in 5-14-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
Seafood and fish are a significant and staple menu of the Japanese diet. I mean, who doesn’t love sushi and sashimi? I certainly do. Seafood has been the essential menu of their cuisine for centuries. A place like the Toyosu Fish Market is a unique spot to witness how big of a deal seafood is in the Japanese food culture.
Fishing for the high protein yet delicious Bluefin Tuna meat is no easy task. This tuna species is specifically large and swims fast, making it hard to catch. But what makes this tuna special? Its sumptuous, buttery texture and bold, succulent flavor position it as a coveted delicacy in sushi bars and upscale restaurants globally. Often likened to the fish equivalent of the finest beefsteak, it undeniably merits the same level of reverence. This year, this tuna was caught near Oma, a town in Japan with swift currents and high waves.
It’s hardly surprising that the Bluefin Tuna price could get that high and that people would willingly bid in such an auction. Even so, the Onodera Sushi Restaurant Group will serve the fish to its customers and also donate some parts to the nursing home residents.
