TOKYO - Bluefin tuna, now being caught in unusually large numbers around areas such as Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, is becoming significantly more affordable, with some restaurant operators even saying it is cheaper than horse mackerel.
At a seafood-focused restaurant in Tokyo, the featured item of the day was fresh bluefin tuna landed off the Miura Peninsula.
"This is it. Fresh bluefin tuna is half price," said Shigehisa Hayatsu, president of Tanashi Fishing Port Direct Sales Shop.
Hayatsu said he personally went to the market to purchase the tuna, adding that wholesale prices had fallen to astonishing levels.
"It depends on the day, but there were even days when it was cheaper than horse mackerel. I wonder if I should even say that," he said with a laugh.
The prized "bluefin tuna," often referred to as the "black diamond" of the seafood world, is now at times being bought for less than horse mackerel, a fish commonly regarded as an inexpensive staple. Restaurants are passing the savings on to customers, offering sashimi and sushi at prices close to half their usual levels.
"You can really taste the richness, and you immediately notice how fresh it is. For Japanese people, cheaper tuna is the best possible news," one customer said.
"It's wonderful being able to eat tuna for around half price. It's incredibly fatty and delicious," another said.
The surge in bluefin tuna catches has been particularly notable around Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture.
"Tuna! There are tuna in the nets," a reporter for N-Sta exclaimed while filming a catch.
"That one must weigh around 150 kilograms," said Toshiyuki Ito, fishing leader at the Kurohime fishing ground of the Uchikaifu Fisheries Production Cooperative.
In Niigata Prefecture, tuna landings as of February this year were already more than five times higher than the same period last year.
Markets in Sado City reportedly handle more than 30 bluefin tuna on busy days.
Fresh bluefin tuna from around Japan is also arriving at supermarkets in Tokyo.
"Today we recommend wild bluefin tuna from Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture, especially this chutoro cut," said Masakazu Fujisawa, manager of the tuna section at Yoshike Honten.
The fatty chutoro is being sold for 1,480 yen per 100 grams, with the supermarket saying prices have remained stable thanks to strong supply.
In weekly Friday sales, bluefin tuna is sometimes offered at nearly half price. Tuna from Sado, now attracting attention for being served at famous establishments such as Ginza Kyubey and members-only sushi restaurants in Aoyama, can occasionally be purchased at these discounted rates.
"It's domestic and wild-caught, so it's an unbelievable bargain. Tuna was always considered a feast when I was growing up, so this makes me really happy," said one shopper who purchased Sado bluefin tuna last week.
According to wholesalers at Tokyo's Toyosu Market, the low-price trend is expected to continue until around summer, meaning consumers may want to enjoy the bargains while they last.
Source: TBS
