A Hong Kong sushi chain bowed out of a high-profile bluefin tuna auction in Japan yesterday, losing its four-year reign as the top bidder but stopping short of dropping the controversial delicacy from its menus.
For the past four years, Taste of Japan - which owns the Itamae Sushi and Itacho Sushi restaurants in Hong Kong - has run promotions following its winning bid for 'Japan One', the biggest bluefin tuna on sale at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's famed Tsukiji fish market.
Last January, the company paid more than HK$3 million for a 342kilogram bluefin tuna and sold it to customers at hugely reduced prices as a 'thank you' gesture. Yesterday, the president of Japanese sushi chain Sushi-Zanmai, Kiyoshi Kimura, snapped up the biggest bluefin on offer for a record 56.49 million yen (HK$5.7 million). 'I wanted to win the best tuna so Japanese customers, not overseas, can enjoy it,' said Kimura of his 269-kilogram catch.
While Taste of Japan in Hong Kong did not bid for the fish, its Japanese subsidiary did.
Instead, Itamae Sushi Japan bought three smaller bluefin tuna for a total of HK$1.05 million, with the catch to remain in Japan for local consumption.
A spokeswoman for Taste of Japan said the company decided not to bid this year so its Japanese affiliate could have a chance to win.