Tokyo - Giant bluefin tuna sold for 193.2 million yen at this year's first auction in Tokyo, the second highest ever. Kiyomura, the operator of the Sushizanmai sushi restaurant chain, has become the owner of a fish weighing 276 kilograms, the Kyodo agency wrote.

Last year, tuna was auctioned for a record 333.6 million yen at the first New Year's auction. Even then, it was acquired by the owner of the Sushizanmai restaurant chain.

The price per kilogram is 700,000 yen. However, the price paid per kilogram of fish at the New Year's auction does not correspond to the actual value of the fish. The first auction of the new year in Japan is more of a promotional event, and wholesalers and owners of sushi restaurants usually pay huge amounts for the biggest and best fish that do not match the normal price of fish meat.

Since last year, Tokyo auctions have been held at a new fish market that has replaced the renowned Tsukiji market, the largest fish market in the world, which was established in 1935. The fish market moved to a new location in Tojos better infrastructure ahead of the Summer Olympics planned for 2020.

The auction ritual, however, remained unchanged. Before dawn, buyers in rubber boots inspect gigantic fresh and frozen fish and check their quality. The auction starts after 5 am local time by ringing the bells. This year, 72 tuna were on offer.

The popularity of tuna in the world is so high that due to the higher catches in the seas of these fish are declining and tuna is now on the list of endangered species. The Japanese consume the vast majority of tuna caught in the world. Thus, most fish caught in the world's seas also travel to Japan for processing and consumption. Recently, however, Japan began to participate in projects to increase the number of this fish in the world's seas.