Tuna is arguably the most prized fish in Japan, with the highest quality and freshest cuts selling for tens of thousands of yen. In fact, in 2012, a 269-kilogram bluefin tuna was sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market for an astonishing 56.49 million yen—approximately $736,000 USD, or around 210,000 yen ($2,700 USD) per kilogram. The fish was purchased by Kiyoshi Kimura, the owner of the popular sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai.
Historically, tuna was not always considered a delicacy in Japan. Once regarded as gezakana—an inferior fish—it was mainly consumed by the poor. The fatty belly cuts, now highly prized, were often discarded as waste. One traditional method to improve its flavour, known as shibi, involved burying the fish for up to four days to allow fermentation, making the flesh more palatable.
It wasn’t until after World War II that tuna gained popularity in Japan. The post-war influx of Western cuisine introduced fattier meat cuts, which helped the Japanese develop a taste for tuna’s rich texture and flavour. Some also suggest that the corporate world played a role in its rise—during the economic boom years, bluefin tuna was flown into Japan from the United States on returning cargo planes and gradually found its place in what is now a massive industry.
Tuna is featured in a wide range of Japanese dishes, from everyday meals to high-end delicacies. One of the most famous is maguro sashimi, where thin slices of raw tuna are served with soy sauce and wasabi. Sushi lovers seek out nigiri-zushi topped with different cuts of tuna, such as akami (lean red meat), chūtoro (medium fatty tuna), and the highly prized ōtoro (extra fatty belly). Tekka-don, a rice bowl topped with fresh tuna slices, is a popular and simple dish enjoyed across Japan. Tuna is also a key ingredient in negitoro, a creamy mixture of minced fatty tuna and green onions, often served over rice or wrapped in sushi rolls. Grilled or seared preparations like maguro tataki, where the fish is lightly charred on the outside while remaining raw inside, highlight the versatility of tuna. Even in home cooking, canned tuna is widely used in dishes such as tuna-mayo onigiri (rice balls) and tuna salad sandwiches, showing how deeply ingrained tuna has become in Japanese cuisine.
However, Japan’s immense demand for tuna has raised global concerns about overfishing, particularly of bluefin tuna, which is being caught faster than it can reproduce. The issue was further exacerbated by radiation contamination detected in some tuna following the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident. In response to international pressure, Japan has been experimenting with farming tuna, showing early success in an effort to ease pressure on wild populations.
