Preparing food for a funeral, or taking it to a family in mourning, is just as ancient a custom as funeral feasts. Although some people take solace in cooking, most grieving families can't fathom a life without their loved ones, much less what to put on the table for dinner. In Ethiopia, edirs -- communal funeral societies -- are as common as neighborhood watch groups.
The fish's tender pink and red meat is prized for sushi and sashimi. The best slices of fatty bluefin â called o-toro â can sell for 2,000 yen (Â£14) per piece at upmarket Tokyo sushi bars. But with a single mouthful-sized piece of sashimi weighing around 1oz, the record breaking tuna is worth around Â£139 per bite.
Prices for bluefin tuna imported from other regions are much lower. A 189-kilogram (417-pound) farmed tuna imported from Spain sold for 662,000 yen (about $6,400) on Sunday, or 3,500 yen ($34) per kilogram, compared with a price of 4,800 yen ($46) a kilogram for the same type of fish sold at last year's first auction.