Tuna is considered the ultimate sign of business success in Japan – at least, according to worshippers and sushi restaurant owners in Japan.
Worshippers gathered on 8 January at the Nishinomiya Ebisu shrine to press coins onto a bluefin tuna displayed there, as a way to please the god Ebisu, who they believe has a hand success in Japanese commerce. Ebisu is typically depicted holding a sea bream in his hand, but to really appease him, a tuna seems to be the thing.
Purchasing the top bluefin at the first auction of the year at the Tsukiji market (5 Jan) is also supposed to bring good luck, as a high price is said to bode well for the economy in the coming year. This year, it went to the same chain as in the previous five years. The 212-kilogram bluefin changed hands for 74.2 million yen (USD 647,914, EUR 608,959).
Last year, the price was much lower, as potential rivals realized the serial buyer would pay any price for the bragging rights. But this year, Genki Sushi, based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, challenged for the opportunity to take a well-publicized loss of about USD 100 (EUR 94) per serving.
"I was surprised. I was scared," said the buyer of the unexpected challenge.
The second-place bidder operates three rotating sushi restaurant brands: Genki Sushi, Uobe, and Senryo. The first features compact shops suitable for urban areas, the second has larger shops for suburban areas, and the third is slightly upscale. The Uobe shops feature a second conveyor belt. Orders can be placed with touchpad menus at the table and the dish is sent on the high-speed conveyor, stopping at the correct table. The company has 140 stores and is expanding in the U.S.A., as well as franchising in the Asia-Pacific.
Luckily for the company, it managed to get its name in many Japanese newspapers just by being the runner up—without paying millions of yen for the publicity.
