Society

Japan's sushi king pays record price for bluefin tuna

Jan 06 (aljazeera.com) - A Japanese sushi tycoon paid a record $3.1m for a giant tuna at the first predawn New Year auction in Tokyo's new fish market on Saturday.

Self-styled "Tuna King" Kiyoshi Kimura forked over the whopping sum for a 278kg bluefin tuna, an endangered species that was caught off Japan's northern coast.

"The tuna looks so tasty and very fresh, but I think I did too much," Kimura, who runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain, told reporters.

"The price was higher than originally thought, but I hope our customers will eat this excellent tuna."

Kimura has been the highest bidder at the new year auction for several years. He paid the previous record of 155 million yen ($1.4m) for a fish in 2013.

Although the auction prices were way above usual for bluefin tuna, wholesalers and sushi tycoons have been known to pay eye-watering prices for the biggest and best fish, especially at the first auction of the New Year.

Later in the day, sushi chefs sliced up the giant fish with special knives resembling Japanese swords at Kimura's main restaurant. Hundreds of sushi lovers queued for a taste.

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