If the nostalgic regrets the departure of the market of its mythical hall of Tsukiji for a warehouse without soul, the buyers quickly found their marks: a tuna was sold close to 3 million euros at the opening of the auction. But for small restaurateurs, the times are bitter.
Like every year, Kiyoshi Kimura made the show on Friday. This entrepreneur, founder of the sushi chain Sushizanmai, did not skimp to win the most expensive tuna of the first auction of the new fish market in Tokyo: 333 million yen (2.7 million euros) for a freshly caught 278 kg beast off Aomori (northern Japan). “It’s a booby trap. The best tuna has to be fished for one or two weeks to achieve its best flavor. Only the bad restaurants serve tuna at the foot of the boat, “warns Ernest Singer, founder of several Japanese restaurants.
But this purchase offers Kiyoshi Kimura, at little cost, a global advertising coup at a key moment in the history of his industry, coinciding with the relocation of the Tokyo fish market.
The global demand for fish is exploding: + 19% by 2026 according to the OECD.
