Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話 ニュースディスカッション教材
On January 5, the first bluefin tuna auction of the year took place at Toyosu Market in Koto Ward, Tokyo. A 238-kilogram (525-pound) bluefin tuna, caught off the coast of Oma in Aomori Prefecture, fetched the highest bid of the day at ¥114.24 million JPY (over $786,000 USD). This marks the fourth-highest rate since records began in 1999.
The winning bid was a joint effort by the wholesaler Yamayuki based in Koto Ward and the company behind the sushi chain Ginza Onodera. The previous record was set in 2019 after the market relocated from Tsukiji to Toyosu, with a bid of ¥333.6 million JPY (around $2.3 million USD). In 2023, the highest bid was ¥36.04 million JPY ($250,000 USD).
President Yukitaka Yamaguchi of Yamayuki expressed satisfaction, stating, "Since business has been doing well recently, I had expected the value to reach at least ¥100 million JPY [$689,000 USD]. The decisive factors in choosing the tuna were its freshness and color. I am grateful to the fishermen who caught it in the cold weather."
Regarding the Noto Peninsula earthquake, he stated, "I was torn about whether to abstain from bidding, but I ultimately chose to participate because we also need some positive news.“
The fisherman behind the noteworthy catch is 57-year-old Masayoshi Kikuchi from Oma, Aomori Prefecture. In an interview at his home, Kikuchi shared his surprise, saying, "I'm surprised that my tuna was chosen as the best and also by the price it fetched. It's fulfilling a long-cherished dream, as I was second two years ago and last year.“
Kikuchi, with around 30 years of fishing experience, captains the fishing vessel No. 57 Taiunmaru. He and his son, Shoma, caught the prized tuna off the shore of Cape Shiriya in the northern part of Shimokita Peninsula before dawn on December 31, 2023. Reflecting on the catch, Kikuchi said, "We caught a big, high-quality tuna. I hope people enjoy it."
東京都江東区の豊洲市場で１月５日、今年最初の取引となる「初競り」が開かれ、２３８キロの青森県大間産クロマグロが、この日最高値の１億１４２４万円で競り落とされた。都によると、記録が残る１９９９年以降で４番目。
仲卸の「やま幸」（江東区）と「鮨 銀座おのでら」などを運営する会社が共同で落札した。過去最高落札額は、旧築地市場（中央区）から移転後初となった２０１９年の３億３３６０万円。昨年は３６０４万円だった。
やま幸の山口幸隆社長（６１）は「最近の景気の良さを感じ、１億円はいくと思っていた。決め手は鮮度と発色の良さ。寒い中、釣ってくれた漁師さんに感謝しています」と話した。能登半島地震に触れ「自粛するべきか複雑な思いもあったが、明るいニュースも必要と挑んだ」とした。
２３８キロのクロマグロを釣ったのは、青森県大間町の漁師菊池正義さん（５７）だ。自宅で取材に応じ「一番マグロに選ばれたのも、値段にもびっくり。去年、おととしと２番だったので念願かなってうれしい」と笑顔で話した。
菊池さんは漁師歴約３０年で「第５７大運丸」の船長。今回のマグロは下北半島・尻屋崎沖で昨年１２月３１日未明に息子の正真さん（３２）と釣った。「大きくて身質のいいマグロが取れた。おいしく食べてほしい」と語った。