Ear: Tuna

Every January, the first tuna auction of the year in Japan draws a large crowd, and this year’s event, held at the crack of dawn at Tokyo’s popular Toyosu fish market, was no different.

This year’s prize bluefin tuna, weighing in at a hefty 608 pounds, fetched a whopping $1.3 million, according to Kyodo News. It’s the second-highest price on record, the highest being $2.1 million in 2019.

The tuna was bought by a partnership of a wholesaler and a company that operates the Sushi Ginza Onodera restaurant chain. “The year’s first tuna brings good luck. We want to make people smile with food,” said Shinji Nagao, president of the sushi chain.

“It was as fat as a cow,” exclaimed 73-year-old fisherman Masahiro Takeuchi, remembering when he first saw the tuna on his longline. “It’s like a dream. I’m always worried about how many more years I can do this job, but I’m incredibly happy.” (Photo: Kyodo News)