【Reading】せり

【English Name】auction

Seri (auction) refers to a transaction method in which, for goods presented by a seller, multiple buyers compete over purchase conditions. In the sushi industry, it has long been used as a method of procuring fresh fish at wholesale markets.

In transactions of marine products, prices are determined as intermediate wholesalers and licensed buyers win bids on the fish and shellfish shipped by wholesale dealers. The English method, in which the buyers raise the price against each other, is common, but there is also the Dutch method, in which the seller side lowers the price in order from a high price, the latter being said to be suited to speeding up transactions.

The tuna auctions once held at the former Tsukiji Market were widely known as a representative example of the method in which pricing is done in an open setting. Even after the market function relocated to Toyosu in 2018, the tuna auctions continue to attract attention as a tourism resource.

However, at present-day wholesale markets, the aitai (negotiated) transaction, in which sellers and buyers negotiate prices individually rather than by auction, has become mainstream. Auctions are held mainly for items where demand tends to concentrate, such as high-grade fish with limited supply and seasonal fresh fish. When sushi artisans speak of the discernment in their purchasing, they often refer to their experience at the auction site.