“Pacific saury” is a quintessential fall delicacy. While it’s usually an everyday, affordable fish available at supermarkets for 100 yen to a few hundred yen per fish, it has become a major talking point after one fish fetched an astronomical price of 216,000 yen at the market’s “first auction” (hatsueri).
Many people are likely wondering, “Why is it so expensive?” “Who on earth bought it?” and “Will the price of sanma at supermarkets go up this year too?”
In this article, we’ll explain the background behind a single sanma being valued at over 210,000 yen, what happened to that fish, and the price outlook for this season.
- Why Did a Single Pacific Saury Sell for 216,000 Yen? Three Reasons Behind the Sky-High Price
- The Identity of the Winning Bidder
- What’s the all-time high? The history of soaring Pacific saury prices
- [A Burning Question] Will Pacific saury prices at supermarkets go up this year too?
- Reactions on the Internet and Social Media: “It’s become a luxury fish…” “The commoner’s staple is slipping away”
- Summary: Keep a close eye on future Pacific saury supply and prices
Why Did a Single Pacific Saury Sell for 216,000 Yen? Three Reasons Behind the Sky-High Price
Several factors are intertwined behind this historic price of 216,000 yen per fish (approximately 1.2 million yen per kilogram), which far exceeds the typical market rate.
1. The Unique “Hatsuseri” (First Auction) “Good Luck” Market
This record price was set at the “Hatsuseri” (first auction), where the season’s first catch is traded.
At the first auctions for Japanese seafood and agricultural products, it is customary to see “good luck” prices—where items are sold at unimaginably high prices—as a way to pray for a bountiful catch, prosperous business, and good fortune for the year ahead.
In the past, there have been famous news stories of a single Oma tuna selling for hundreds of millions of yen and two Yubari melons selling for several million yen; this Pacific saury auction is a perfect example of that phenomenon.
2. The Severe “Record-Low Pacific Saury Catch” in Recent Years
Another major factor is the severe decline in Pacific saury catches in recent years, attributed to global warming, rising sea temperatures, and foreign vessels preemptively harvesting the catch on the high seas.
While Pacific saury used to be caught in the tens of thousands of metric tons, landings have now plummeted.
Because the number of fish available at the market on the first day was extremely low, their scarcity value rose even higher than usual, further driving up prices.
3. The Brand Value of Being “First to the Market”
For markets and distributors, the achievement of “sourcing this year’s first Pacific saury faster than anyone else” is a status symbol.
In particular, the very first shipment of Pacific saury—regardless of its fat content—holds tremendous value as a “preview of the season,” which tends to fuel intense bidding wars.
Who Bought the Pacific Saury for 216,000 Yen Each? What Was the Purpose of the Bid?
Just what kind of person (or company) won the bid for the Pacific saury at this historic high price?
The Identity of the Winning Bidder
Generally, such extremely high bids are made by one of the following:
- Long-established, high-end local ryotei and kappo restaurants
- Major seafood retailers (fresh fish shops) seeking to generate buzz
- Major nationwide restaurant chains and sushi restaurants
What Are the “Benefits” of Paying 210,000 Yen?
At first glance, this transaction appears to be a massive loss, but the winning bidder has a clear objective.
That objective is “advertising and promotional value.”
If the store is widely featured on TV, in newspapers, online news outlets, and on social media as “the store that won the bid for a Pacific saury for 210,000 yen,” it can gain more name recognition than it would from advertising campaigns costing several hundred thousand to several million yen.
In other words, the company views this not as the cost of the fish, but as an investment in “PR expenses.”
The auctioned Pacific saury is then immediately transported to the store, where it is usually served free of charge to regular customers who support the business on a daily basis or offered as a limited-time menu item, thereby boosting customer satisfaction.
What’s the all-time high? The history of soaring Pacific saury prices
In fact, it has become something of a “tradition” in recent years for the opening auction price of Pacific saury to reach tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen.
In the past, even at the opening auction, prices of a few thousand yen per kilogram—or a few hundred to a few thousand yen per fish—were the norm.
However, prices began to fluctuate in the late 2010s as poor catches became more severe, and in recent years, they have skyrocketed to 100,000 yen and 200,000 yen per kilogram, culminating in this year’s “over 1 million yen per kilogram (216,000 yen per fish).”
This trend clearly highlights how Pacific saury is transforming from a “fish for the common people” into a “luxury fish.”
[A Burning Question] Will Pacific saury prices at supermarkets go up this year too?
What most people are probably wondering is, “Will the Pacific saury at the supermarkets we usually shop at also become more expensive?”
Conclusion: Retail prices won’t reach 210,000 yen
Rest assured.
The price of 216,000 yen that’s been making headlines was set under the special circumstances of the opening auction, where prices are often inflated as a “celebratory gesture.”
Once the fishing season is in full swing and landings increase, prices will gradually stabilize.
However, prices are expected to remain “higher than usual”
Although prices won’t reach the levels seen at the opening auction, the overall trend of poor catches remains unchanged.
Therefore, we can expect fewer opportunities to see mackerel at supermarkets at bargain prices like “98 yen per fish” or “100 yen per fish,” as was common a few years ago.
This season, too, prices are likely to hover in the “slightly higher” range of around 300 to 500 yen per fish, with large, fatty, high-quality specimens likely commanding even higher prices.
Reactions on the Internet and Social Media: “It’s become a luxury fish…” “The commoner’s staple is slipping away”
In response to this news, numerous comments expressing a mix of surprise and anxiety have been posted on social media and across the internet.
- “Pacific saury used to be the common people’s staple, but now it’s become something out of reach…”
- “210,000 yen per fish? That’s—
- “Even though it’s a celebratory price, I feel like the severity of the poor catch is reflected in that figure, and it makes me a little worried about the future of Japanese food culture.”口いくらするんだろう？ 恐ろしくて味が分からない気がする（笑）」
- 「ご祝儀相場とはいえ、不漁の深刻さが金額に表れている気がして、日本の食文化の未来がちょっと心配になる」
Pacific saury used to be synonymous with “affordable and delicious fall flavors,” but with prices soaring in recent years, many people lament that it’s appearing less frequently on their dinner tables.
Summary: Keep a close eye on future Pacific saury supply and prices
The price of 216,000 yen per Pacific saury is certainly sensational news typical of the first auction of the season, but behind it lies the real challenge facing Japan’s fishing industry: a “severe fishing slump.”
That said, as autumn deepens, fishing grounds will come closer to shore, and delicious, fatty Pacific saury will gradually start appearing in the market.
Let’s hope for a recovery in future catch volumes and that delicious Pacific saury will reach our dining tables at affordable prices.
