Tuna

まぐろ

A quintessential premium fish. Price and flavor vary greatly by cut — akami, chu-toro, o-toro. Deep-sea vessels catch tuna in the Pacific and land primarily at Yaizu Port (Shizuoka) and Kesennuma Port (Miyagi), so prefecture statistics reflect landing sites, not catch origins. Oma (Aomori) line-fishing and farming in Kagoshima and Wakayama have grown in recent years. Rich in DHA and EPA

Taste & Texture

Lean akami has rich umami with refined tang; fatty toro has sweet richness and melt-in-the-mouth texture. Bluefin is prized as the highest grade, with peak fattiness from late autumn through winter

Season

MONTHLY AVAILABILITY

Jan - Dec

PEAK

※ Season is based on domestic field-grown availability

How to Choose

  • For akami, look for vivid red flesh with dark red bloodline; for toro, the marbling should be evenly distributed and pinkish-white.

  • Avoid pieces with discoloration or dryness.

How to Store

  • Wrap tuna blocks tightly in plastic wrap and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

  • Sashimi-grade should be eaten the same day.

  • Home freezing significantly degrades texture.

Shelf life 1-2 days refrigerated (same-day consumption recommended for sashimi-grade)

Nutrition Facts

Monthly Supply Volume

Supply Peak

Peak Month 4 19,301t
Annual Inflow 203,092 t
Inflow (t)
In season

Source: MAFF Seafood Distribution Survey (monthly cold-storage inflow) (2024). Monthly cold-storage inflow — used as a supply-signal proxy when national monthly wholesale prices are not published.

Retail Price

Price Trend

Cheapest Apr ¥460/100g
Most Expensive Jan ¥515/100g

Annual Average

¥480/100g

Source: Statistics Bureau Retail Price Survey (2026)

Top Landing Prefectures

Shizuoka14.8%
Miyagi12.1%
Kochi11.0%
Miyazaki10.3%
Kagoshima7.2%
Others44.5%
10%+
5%+
2%+
0.1%+
None

Map data: National Land Numerical Information (MLIT Japan)

#
Prefecture
Production (t)
Share
1
23,704
14.8%
2
19,257
12.1%
3
17,607
11.0%
4
16,480
10.3%
5
11,572
7.2%

Source: MAFF Marine Fisheries Production Statistics (wild + aquaculture) (2023)

Top 5 Prefecture Production Trends (2018-2023)

Shizuoka
Miyagi
Kochi
Miyazaki
Kagoshima

Consumption Ranking

National Average (annual spending per household)

¥5,302 /year
#
City
Annual Spending
1
Shizuoka Shizuoka
¥11,635
2
Kofu Yamanashi
¥8,336
3
Tokyo Tokyo
¥8,297
4
Chiba Chiba
¥7,832
5
Yokohama Kanagawa
¥7,645

Source: Statistics Bureau Family Income and Expenditure Survey (2024, two-or-more-person households, prefectural capital cities)