Record price paid for massive tuna
Kiyoshi Kimura, president of the Sushi-Zanmai restaurant chain, cuts into his prize purchase at his main restaurant near Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market on Thursday.
January 5th, 2012
07:11 AM ET

Record price paid for massive tuna

Fancy a $50 piece of sushi?

That's what one piece of a 593-pound blue fin tuna sold Thursday at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market for a record $736,000 is worth.

Kiyoshi Kimura, who runs the Sushi-Zanmai chain in Japan, bought the record-setting fish at the first auction of the new year at Japan's main fish market, a popular tourist stop in Tokyo, according to the Tokyo Times.

The previous record for a fish was set at the market in 2011's first sale of the new year, when a Hong Kong restauranteur paid $422,000 for a blue fin. He took that fish to Hong Kong.

Kimura said he wanted to keep this year's top tuna in Japan. It was caught off Amori prefecture.

"We tried very hard to win the bidding, so that we could give Japan a boost and have Japanese people eat the most delicious tuna," the Mainichi Daily News quoted him as saying.

Despite the record price Kimura paid, pieces of the prize fish are expected to sell for around $5 in his restaurants.

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Filed under: Animals • Aquaculture • Fish • Food • Japan
soundoff (162 Responses)
  1. Mmmmm

    ...a can of tuna cost only $2...go figure! with couple of eggs some chives, ah little mayonnaise, secret ingredients, a bottle wine >BAMBOOM< all for under fifty dollars...go figure?

    January 5, 2012 at 7:41 am | Report abuse |
    • Life

      You mean your can of Cat Food is under $2?

      January 5, 2012 at 8:39 am | Report abuse |
    • DL

      You're comparing canned tuna to sashimi grade blue fin? Do you also not know the difference between grass fed wagyu and grade D fecal-encrusted ground chuck?

      January 5, 2012 at 8:42 am | Report abuse |
  2. Hey, now...

    A can of tuna costs $2.00? Where do you SHOP?

    That's alotta tuna...

    January 5, 2012 at 7:56 am | Report abuse |
  3. Team Davis/Century 21 Beggins Florida

    Wow...Just think, we can sell you beautiful houses on the water for 500K all day now here in Florida...things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm...

    January 5, 2012 at 8:16 am | Report abuse |
  4. Dave

    Unfortunate that this article doesn't explain why these tuna are commanding record prices. The truth is that we have likely removed over 99% of this species from our oceans and now the supply cannot meet consumer demand. Unless we consumers 'vote' to protect this majestic fish from extinction by *not* buying bluefin tuna, we will be responsible for driving the economic engine that caused a global extinction.

    http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=69

    January 5, 2012 at 8:16 am | Report abuse |
    • Andy

      Please do not confuse the Pacific blue fin tuna with the Atlantic blue fin tuna. This was a Pacific specimen, and as such is not endangered or protected. The article you've posted is with respect to the Atlantic blue fin tuna, which is endangered and protected. The reason these Pacific tuna fetch such a high price is because they are incredibly tasty.

      January 5, 2012 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  5. dave

    That tna is so fresh, the smell is coming from the girls

    January 5, 2012 at 8:18 am | Report abuse |
  6. oobie

    5 dollars is still too much. I'm sure a smaller tuna wouldn't taste much different and cost less!

    January 5, 2012 at 8:23 am | Report abuse |
  7. Fishy

    As our fish populations are being decimated it is only natural for the price of any large fish to be high and will go higher. No suprise, get ready for more no suprises as time goes by.

    January 5, 2012 at 8:27 am | Report abuse |
  8. Sybaris

    That'll make an expensive turd

    January 5, 2012 at 8:28 am | Report abuse |
  9. gix

    where is that funky smell coming from?

    January 5, 2012 at 8:35 am | Report abuse |
  10. Yoda

    Glow fish Tuna!!!!

    January 5, 2012 at 8:37 am | Report abuse |
  11. Portland tony

    Just another CNN fish story. Of all the events that shape our lives, this surely is not one of them.

    January 5, 2012 at 8:38 am | Report abuse |
  12. Life

    @Dave If the tuna was fresh you wouldn't smell it. Your attempt at trolling is an utter failure.

    January 5, 2012 at 8:38 am | Report abuse |
  13. Dr. Scott is stupid

    My teeth are fabulous! Thanks for asking!!!

    January 5, 2012 at 8:39 am | Report abuse |
  14. coder

    if they had spent that money on nuclear safety?
    3/4 of million dollars – for a dead fish....

    January 5, 2012 at 8:41 am | Report abuse |
    • ChiMaddy

      You... aren't a businessman

      January 5, 2012 at 8:50 am | Report abuse |
    • Andy

      ChiMaddy.. great responce and right on the money! made me lol!

      January 5, 2012 at 9:05 am | Report abuse |
    • Malkntnt

      I'm sorry, "they"? Who is "they"? This is a guy running a business, he's not the government or nuclear plant owner. What a unbelievable comment. Hey, how about this – someone says "I can't believe @coder bought a new car. I mean they should have put it towards Defense Spending." This is what you're saying. Think next time.

      January 5, 2012 at 9:39 am | Report abuse |
  15. richp

    You need to do more research, some tuna's have gone much higher that were caught off of cape cod.

    January 5, 2012 at 8:44 am | Report abuse |
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