A bluefin tuna fetched 207 million yen, or about 1.3 million dollars, in the first auction of the year at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo on January 5.

That's nearly double last year's highest price of 114 million yen and the second highest on record.

Intermediate wholesaler Yamayuki, acting at the request of sushi restaurant operator Onodera Group, got the year’s first highest priced tuna for the fifth year in a row.

S/ Yamaguchi Yukitaka, Yamayuki President / Even though there were many tuna this time, the deciding factor for the top fish was easy to see. The freshness of this tuna was outstanding.

About eight hours after the early morning auction, the tuna was carved in front of customers at a restaurant and served at 1,160 yen for two pieces of sushi.

The prized tuna was from Aomori's Oma in northern Japan.

The bidding price was equivalent to 750,000 yen per kilogram.

S/ Customer / It's really delicious. It's soft and great.

S/ Customer / I come every year. I got here at 9 a.m. It has nice fat and a delicate taste.

S/ Customer / I got off to a great start this year.

Also at the auction, purple sea urchin from Hokkaido's Hakodate was auctioned off at 7 million yen, more than four times the previous high.

The move came as the price of sea urchin has been soaring.