In the year’s first auction at Tokyo’s sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the 222-kilogram (489-pound) tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen, said Ryoji Yagi, a market official.
The fish’s tender pink and red meat is prized for sushi and sashimi. The best slices of fatty bluefin — called “o-toro” here — can sell for 2,000 yen ($24) per piece at upmarket Tokyo sushi bars.
Japanese eat 80 percent of the bluefin tuna caught worldwide, and much the global catch is shipped to Japan for consumption…
The price works out to a stunning 700,000 yen per kilogram, or $3,603 per pound.
