Japanese Sushi Chain Sets Record with $3.2-M Tuna Purchase

A Japanese sushi chain operator has set a Guinness World Records title for the most expensive tuna sold at auction after paying 510.3 million yen (about $3.2 million) at the year’s first auction in 2026, Kyodo News reported..

This marks Kiyomura’s second Guinness title, following its 2013 purchase of a bluefin tuna for 155.4 million yen.

The 243-kilogram bluefin tuna was caught off Oma in Aomori Prefecture. Kiyomura Corp., which operates the Sushizanmai chain, purchased it at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Jan. 5.

The tuna was later cut at Sushizanmai’s main Tsukiji outlet and served across its restaurants in Japan.

“We will continue to offer high-quality tuna next year and beyond,” Kiyomura President Kiyoshi Kimura said while receiving the Guinness certificate on April 20.

This marks the company’s second Guinness title, following its 2013 purchase of a bluefin tuna for 155.4 million yen.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this year’s winning bid is the highest since comparable records began in 1999. The top bid rose sharply from 36 million yen in 2023 to 114 million yen in 2024 and 270 million yen in 2025, Mainichi Japan reported.