Y9.6 mil tuna shared by Japanese, Chinese sushi restaurant owners

Thursday 08th January, 03:14 PM JST

TOKYO —

The battle over a bluefin tuna that sold for 9.63 million yen at the New Year auction at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market, the highest price in eight years, ended when the Japanese and Chinese bidders agreed to buy the fish together, market participants said Thursday.

Yosuke Imada, 63-year-old manager of the prestigious sushi restaurant ‘‘Kyubey’’ in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district, and Ricky Cheng Wai-tao, 41-year-old Chinese manager of the ‘‘Itamae Sushi’’ sushi chain in Hong Kong and elsewhere, each took half of the fish, which was caught in the sea off Oma, Aomori Prefecture.

The tuna was cut in two at the market immediately after Monday’s bidding with one half transported to Hong Kong and the other to Ginza.

One piece of ‘‘otoro’’ sushi, using the fattest portion of the fish, cost around 1,100 yen in the Hong Kong restaurants and 2,000 yen in Ginza.

Cheng set off shock waves in the industry at last year’s New Year auction as the first foreigner to win the bidding for the priciest tuna on the Tsukiji market, whose official name is the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market. He paid a price of about 6 million yen.

With the pride of Japan as the birthplace of sushi at stake, Imada was determined to win the bidding this time around even if he suffered a loss, but with raw tuna growing in popularity in China, Cheng was reportedly prepared to pay more than 10 million yen to land his fish.

Yukitaka Yamaguchi, 46, a longtime middleman for Imada who had also started to work with Cheng from last year, found himself in a quandary after both asked him to buy the top fish ‘‘at any cost’’ in the New Year auction.

Summoning both of them to a hotel bar in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi on the eve of the New Year auction, Yamaguchi suggested joint purchase of the fish.

They accepted the plan because Imada wanted to avoid an unnecessary battle and expense and Cheng wanted to avoid possible criticism over a foreigner winning the auction for a second year.

The annual consumption of tuna in China skyrocketed 20 times to 4,000 tons in 2005 from 200 tons in 2000, according Lou Xiaobo, professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

Lou also expects the consumption of tuna in China to continue to increase as numbers in the higher socioeconomic group expand.

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13 Comments

Yelnats at 03:40 PM JST - 8th January

Too bad so many people are starting to eat the best of sushi in China. Prices will go up and us regular folk will miss out on some great fatty tuna!
kwatt at 05:39 PM JST - 8th January

China did not eat a lot of fish years ago. Little people on east coast ate fish but not often. Today they knew good taste and good health about sushi tuna. More Chinese people are increasing crazy about eating all kinds of tuna. In future they will hunt bigger ones down there.
Bento at 06:28 PM JST - 8th January

if they dont get this fish served shortly itll be good only for cat food.
bdiego at 06:33 PM JST - 8th January

Yeah there's too many people eating tuna in the world as it is, the supply isn't going to increase and what'll happen is a spike in prices. I've had my fill but someday I hope my children can have a taste without it being relegated to caviar land.
davidattokyo at 07:39 PM JST - 8th January

4,000 tons? That's nothing. Japan has loads more than that stockpiled.
GW at 09:02 PM JST - 8th January

my oh my first sumo now tuna, what next for us foreigners to dominate!!!!

as others have said I think this an indication it wont be Jpn that eats the last tuna but will be split between Jpn & China, feel sorry for the tuna their days are numbered they will be wiped out like we did the whales, us humans never learn.

glad I aint young no more I dont think the world is going to be a nice place to live 50yrs from now if not a lot sooner, we`ll all be 3rd world soon azt the rate we are going
himasan at 11:34 PM JST - 8th January

The 10m yen fish should go well with the 2.5m yen melons of last year, may they all die of mercury poisoning for wasting so much money in a time of recession. This is how the fish markets are rewarded for going over their fishing quotas?
usaexpat at 01:08 AM JST - 9th January

Good ending, a little Japanese / Chinese cooperation. himasan: all I have to say is yum, I'll take my chances on the mercury.
OssanAmerica at 02:12 AM JST - 9th January

as others have said I think this an indication it wont be Jpn that eats >the last tuna but will be split between Jpn & China, feel sorry for the >tuna their days are numbered they will be wiped out like we did the >whales, us humans never learn.

Just wait till they discover tuna stocks in the Antarctic.
JOKERXJOKER at 10:10 AM JST - 9th January

as a vegetarian for my whole life..its fun and strange to know some morons fight over a fish with such a high price..when every body knows the things u eat in will be shitted out sooner or latter..my point is, why waste so much money on a fish, when u can donate it or sponsor some charity programs...
OssanAmerica at 10:35 AM JST - 9th January

as a vegetarian for my whole life..its fun and strange to know some >morons fight over a fish with such a high price..when every body knows >the things u eat in will be shitted out sooner or latter..my point is, >why waste so much money on a fish, when u can donate it or sponsor some >charity programs...

These "morons" are conducting what's known as "business". They spend the money for hepurpose of making more money. Donating it to charity wouldn't accomplish this goal.
cleo at 11:07 AM JST - 9th January

These "morons" are conducting what's known as "business". They spend the money for hepurpose of making more money.

The people buying and selling wholesale are conducting 'business' for the purpose of making money. The people forking out good money for the privilege of eating a bit of dead fish only to excrete it next day, are the ones I think Joker was thinking about.