This Japanese Restaurant Just Paid $3.2 Million for One Fish
Sushi Zanmai’s owner shattered his own record at Tokyo’s New Year tuna auction.
Kiyomura Corp., the company behind the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, shelled out $3.24 million for a 536-pound bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s first fish auction of 2026. The winning bid broke the company’s own 2019 record of $2.1 million.
Owner Kiyoshi Kimura, known affectionately as the “Tuna King,” told reporters he didn’t expect to pay so much but couldn’t resist when he saw the premium fish. The prized tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan.
Despite the eye-watering price tag of roughly $6,060 per pound, Kimura plans to serve the fish at standard menu prices across all Sushi Zanmai locations nationwide. He called the purchase “good luck” for the new year.
Kiyomura Corp., the company behind the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, shelled out $3.24 million for a 536-pound bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s first fish auction of 2026. The winning bid broke the company’s own 2019 record of $2.1 million.
Owner Kiyoshi Kimura, known affectionately as the “Tuna King,” told reporters he didn’t expect to pay so much but couldn’t resist when he saw the premium fish. The prized tuna was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan.
Despite the eye-watering price tag of roughly $6,060 per pound, Kimura plans to serve the fish at standard menu prices across all Sushi Zanmai locations nationwide. He called the purchase “good luck” for the new year.
