Japanese Sushi Chain Operator Sets Guinness World Record for Most Expensive Tuna at Auction

Apr 25, 2026, 03:46

Introduction

Kiyomura Corp., the operator of the Sushizanmai sushi chain, has established a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive tuna purchased at auction, following a bid of ¥510.3 million (approximately $4.08 million or $3.2 million, depending on the exchange rate used) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

Main Body

The record-setting bluefin tuna, weighing 243 kilograms, was caught off the coast of Oma in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan. The purchase occurred on January 5, 2026, at the Toyosu market's annual New Year auction. The fish was subsequently processed at Sushizanmai's main Tsukiji outlet and distributed to its restaurants nationwide. Kiyomura President Kiyoshi Kimura received the Guinness World Records certificate at a ceremony at the chain's main outlet on April 20, stating the company's intention to continue offering high-quality tuna in future years. This achievement marks the second Guinness World Record for Kiyomura Corp., which previously held the title for a bluefin tuna bought for ¥155.4 million at the first auction of 2013. According to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the 2026 winning bid is the highest recorded since comparable records became available in 1999. The trajectory of top bids at these annual auctions has shown a sharp increase: from ¥36 million in 2023, to ¥114 million in 2024, and ¥270 million in 2025. The practice of making substantial bids at the year's first auction has become an established tradition among Japanese bidders. Participants view the event as a source of good fortune and an opportunity for restaurants to generate publicity. Additionally, observing the early-morning tuna auctions from the market's observation deck has become a major tourist attraction.

Conclusion

Kiyomura Corp. has secured a second Guinness World Record for the most expensive tuna at auction, reflecting a broader trend of escalating bids at Tokyo's first tuna auction of the year, which serves both as a cultural tradition and a marketing opportunity for the sushi industry.

Vocabulary Learning

comparable (adj.)

able to be likened to another; similar in quality or quantity可比較的；類似的

Example:the highest recorded since comparable records became available in 1999.

escalating (adj.)

becoming greater or more serious; rising逐步升級的；不斷加劇的

Example:reflecting a broader trend of escalating bids at Tokyo's first tuna auction of the year.

secure (v.)

to obtain or achieve something, especially with effort獲得；取得

Example:Kiyomura Corp. has secured a second Guinness World Record for the most expensive tuna at auction.

substantial (adj.)

of considerable importance, size, or worth大量的；可觀的

Example:The practice of making substantial bids at the year's first auction has become an established tradition.

trajectory (n.)

the curved path of an object moving through space, or a course of development over time軌跡；發展軌道

Example:The trajectory of top bids at these annual auctions has shown a sharp increase.

Sentence Learning

Reduced Relative Clause: The sentence contains a reduced relative clause 'purchased at auction' (omitting 'that was') modifying 'tuna'. It also features an appositive phrase 'the operator of the Sushizanmai sushi chain' and a participial phrase 'following a bid...' acting as an adverbial. The parenthetical insert adds further complexity.句子包含簡化關係子句「purchased at auction」（省略了「that was」）修飾「tuna」。同時有同位語片語「the operator of the Sushizanmai sushi chain」和分詞片語「following a bid...」作狀語。括號內的插入語增加了句子的複雜性。

This achievement marks the second Guinness World Record for Kiyomura Corp., which previously held the title for a bluefin tuna bought for ¥155.4 million at the first auction of 2013.

Non-restrictive Relative Clause: The relative clause 'which previously held the title...' provides non-essential information about Kiyomura Corp., set off by commas. Within it, 'bought for ¥155.4 million' is a reduced relative clause modifying 'tuna'.非限制性關係子句：關係子句「which previously held the title...」提供關於Kiyomura Corp.的非必要資訊，以逗號分隔。其中「bought for ¥155.4 million」是簡化關係子句，修飾「tuna」。

According to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the 2026 winning bid is the highest recorded since comparable records became available in 1999.

Fronted Adverbial: The sentence opens with the prepositional phrase 'According to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government', setting the source before the main clause. 'Recorded' is a reduced relative clause (the highest bid that has been recorded). The 'since' clause introduces a temporal subordinate clause.句首狀語：句子以介詞片語「According to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government」開頭，在主句之前設定來源。「recorded」是簡化關係子句（the highest bid that has been recorded）。「since」子句引入時間從屬子句。

The practice of making substantial bids at the year's first auction has become an established tradition among Japanese bidders.

Nominalization: The subject 'The practice of making substantial bids' is a nominalized phrase where the verb 'make' is transformed into a gerund 'making' within a noun phrase. This allows the action to be treated as a concept, adding formality and lexical density.名詞化：主語「The practice of making substantial bids」是一個名詞化片語，動詞「make」轉化為動名詞「making」置於名詞片語中。這使得動作被視為概念，增加了正式性和詞彙密度。

Participial Phrase and Relative Clause: The participial phrase 'reflecting a broader trend...' modifies the entire preceding clause, indicating a result. The relative clause 'which serves both as...' provides additional information about 'Tokyo's first tuna auction'. The correlative conjunctions 'both...and...' create parallel structure.分詞片語和關係子句：分詞片語「reflecting a broader trend...」修飾整個前句，表示結果。關係子句「which serves both as...」提供關於「Tokyo's first tuna auction」的額外資訊。關聯連詞「both...and...」構成平行結構。