Lokmani Rijal, Japan . Sanma fish (also known as sauri), which has been increasingly rare in recent years, was sold for 300,000 yen per kilogram at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market.

Typically available around August, this season’s first catch arrived about a month earlier than last year. The initial batch was brought to the market via the Kushiro port in Hokkaido and weighed only around 50 kilograms in total — significantly less than the first batch from the previous year.

This time, the fish were relatively large in size, weighing approximately 170 grams each, making them rare compared to recent years. Normally, early-season sanma are found in smaller sizes, around 100 grams.

The large 170-gram sanma fish were sold at around 50,000 yen per piece, although this is still lower than last year’s record price of 500,000 yen per kilogram.

This marks the first time in three years that sanma fish have been brought from the sea in July, made possible after the lifting of a fishing ban.