Japan’s Kiyomura Corp paid a record 510 million yen ($3.25 million) for a 243-kilogram bluefin tuna at Tokyo’s annual New Year auction, the highest price ever at the Toyosu fish market.

The tuna, caught off Oma in northern Japan, is prized for its quality, and Kiyoshi Kimura, Kiyomura’s president and “Tuna King,” outbid his own previous record of 333.6 million yen from 2019.

The fish was immediately sent to Sushizanmai’s head branch for distribution to restaurants nationwide, with standard menu prices remaining around 500 yen per sushi roll.

Kimura said the extravagant bid reflected optimism for Japan’s economy under the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, the DW has reported.

Conservation efforts have improved Pacific bluefin tuna’s status from “vulnerable” to “near threatened,” helping sustain the species despite high demand.