7. The most expensive tuna ever
7. The most expensive tuna ever. [BI via AP]
TOKYO (AP) — This tuna is worth savoring: It cost nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. The bluefin tuna caught off northeastern Japan fetched a record 56.49 million yen, or about $736,000, Thursday in the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. The price for the 269-kilogram (593-pound) tuna beat last year's record of 32.49 million yen. The price translates to 210,000 yen per kilogram, or $1,238 per pound — also a record, said Yutaka Hasegawa, a Tsukiji market official. The winning bidder is Kiyoshi Kimura, president of a sushi restaurant chain. Media reports quote him saying that he wants to "liven up Japan" and help it recover from last year's devastating tsunami and economic stagnation. The tuna was caught off Aomori prefecture.