Japan's sushi king pays record price for bluefin tuna

Jan 06, 2019 | News On Japan

Jan 06, 2019 (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.

Typhoon Nos. 28 and 29 Threaten Japan's Three-Day Weekend

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific are expected to bring high waves and strong winds to Japan's Ogasawara Islands during the three-day weekend from October 10 to 12, while swells from the east could also affect coastal areas along eastern Japan's Pacific coast, according to the latest forecast issued at 10 p.m. on October 8.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.