Food

Bluefin tuna nets over 100 million yen at first auction of new year

TOKYO, Jan 05 (News On Japan) - In the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Toyosu Market, a bluefin tuna from Oma in Aomori Prefecture was sold for a record-breaking 114.24 million yen.

Just after 5:00 AM on Friday, the traditional New Year's auction commenced at the Toyosu Market, signaled by the ringing of a bell.

Bidding was lively as rows of tuna were auctioned off.

The most prized "number one tuna," considered a good luck charm, weighed 238 kilograms and was caught at Oma Port in Aomori Prefecture. It sold for 114.24 million yen, exceeding last year's 36.04 million yen.

The previous record was set in 2019, during the first auction after the market's relocation from Tsukiji to Toyosu, where a tuna from Oma fetched 333.6 million yen.

Meanwhile, on January 4, Katsuura Fishing Port in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, known for having Japan's largest catch of fresh tuna, also held its first tuna market of the year.

Fishing boats operating off the coast of the Kumano Sea brought in about 50 tons of tuna that morning, a catch typical for this time of year. Three types of tuna were lined up in the market, where buyers were keenly assessing the quality during the first auction of the year. The tuna, packed in ice, is primarily shipped to the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area.

Source: ANNnewsCH

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed; framed as a successor to Abenomics with greater emphasis on growth strategy, the plan raises questions about what will change in people’s daily lives and how the administration intends to run policy behind the scenes.

Typhoon No. 26 Forming, May Impact Japan

As of 3 p.m. on November 5th, a tropical depression over the sea near the Caroline Islands was slowly moving northward, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting that it would develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. Once it forms, it will be designated as Typhoon No. 26.

Morning-After Pill to Be Sold Over the Counter by Year-End

Emergency contraceptive pills, used to prevent unintended pregnancies, are set to become available over the counter in Japan as early as by the end of this fiscal year, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of debate.

Crimes by U.S. Military Personnel Hit Record High in Okinawa

The number of U.S. military personnel arrested for criminal offenses in Okinawa has reached 77 so far this year, already surpassing the record total for all of 2024 as of the end of September.

Japan to Tighten Visa Rules on Foreigners Behind on Health Insurance

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to introduce a new system starting in June 2027 that will, in principle, deny changes or renewals of residence status for foreign residents who fail to pay their national health insurance premiums despite repeated requests for payment.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Food NEWS

Things to do in Tsukiji fish market and Toyosu Tokyo 2025

The main thing to do at Tsukiji and Toyosu is to enjoy the street food. (SAMURAI JUNJIRO Channel)

Inside The World Of Japan's 'Midnight Workers'

In the small hours, when most of the city is asleep and the last trains have already rolled into depots, a different shift begins as “midnight workers” keep daily life stitched together—from a leak surveyor crouched on a silent road in Yokohama to a one-man neighborhood Chinese kitchen in Tokyo that serves until dawn and a Shimbashi bento shop that turns out more than 700 box lunches a day.

Unbelievable Speed and Volume: Inside Japan’s Wildest Market!

At Hotomeki Market Ichitaro in Iizuka, Fukuoka, the day starts long before sunrise. Five master craftsmen wield their knives with astonishing speed, processing hundreds of fish before most people wake up. Charcoal fires roar, salt dances through the air, and over 12,000 skewers of yakitori are sold in a single day. (Japanese Kitchen Tour)

Japanese Chef Unveils Gourmet Space Cuisine

Rocket development firm Future Space Transport Systems and travel agency Nippon Travel announced on October 28th their joint goal of commercializing space travel in the 2040s. As humanity prepares to venture further into space, one crucial consideration is food.

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner at Jonathan’s Japan

In this video, we visit Jonathan’s, one of Japan’s most popular family restaurant chains, and try their breakfast, lunch, and dinner — plus a little bit of bar time at night (TabiEats)

Beaujolais Nouveau Arrives at Kansai Airport, Expectations High

The first shipment of Beaujolais Nouveau, the new French wine whose sale will be officially released on November 20th, arrived at Kansai International Airport on the morning of October 22nd.

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

Japan Street Food Tour: 10 Must-Try Japanese Snacks

Join us on a street food tour through Kagoshima, one of Japan’s most underrated cities in the south of Kyushu. From local specialties to unique snacks you won’t find anywhere else, Kagoshima’s food scene is full of surprises. (TabiEats)

< 2 3 4 5 >