TOKYO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A bluefin tuna fetched 207 million yen (about 1.3 million U.S. dollars) at the first tuna auction of 2025 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market on Sunday, the second highest price on record.

With an array of tuna on the block, the lively auction began with a bell shortly after 5 a.m. local time at the Toyosu market, a popular fish market that has become one of the capital's major tourist spots in recent years.

The top item was a 276 kg tuna caught off the coast of Oma in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori. The fish was jointly bought by an intermediate wholesaler and a company that operates the Sushi Ginza Onodera chain of restaurants.

"The year's first tuna brings good luck. We want to make people smile with food," said Shinji Nagao, president of the sushi restaurant operator.

The bid was the second highest since comparable data became available in 1999, after 333.6 million yen marked in 2019's new year auction. ■