how the bidding works
The hand-signal auction, explained
What's actually happening in the seconds between the bell and a tuna changing hands.
Reserve the tuna auction tour ↗The round in brief
| Step | What it means |
|---|---|
| The bell | Marks the start of a round of bidding |
| Inspection | Buyers have already checked tail samples before the bell |
| Hand signals | Buyers flick fingers to signal their bid, fast and silent |
| The sale | The highest signal wins the fish, in seconds |
Before the bell
Buyers walk the rows beforehand, checking the cut tail of each tuna for colour, fat content and texture — this is why fish arrive with a small wedge already removed.
What the bell does
A handbell marks the start of each round, and from that point the pace picks up fast.
Reading the hands
Buyers use te-jirushi, a system of hand signals, to bid without shouting a price across the hall. To an untrained eye it looks like almost nothing is happening.
Why it moves so fast
Hundreds of tuna need to change hands before the morning's trucks leave, so each round is built for speed, not ceremony.
What your guide does here
This is the part of the morning a guide earns their place: translating the signals in real time so you know what you just watched a second after it happened.
Where to watch from
The exclusive lower deck puts you closest to the action, behind glass at floor level; the upper deck gives a wider view of several rounds happening across the hall at once.