Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment
A melon producer in Furano, Hokkaido, has grown some cute cantaloupes with the image of Japanese’s favourite icon Hello Kitty engraved on the fruit surface.
The limited item (300 pieces) will be on sale until July 31. I suspect it won’t last until then despite costing 4,980 yen (US$48.53) apiece. Seems steep to most people but high quality melons are priced at this range in Japan, it’s not extraordinary.
Story of the revival of the bankrupting Yubari City in Japan with its No Money But Love campaign. Yubari is famous for its melons which made international headlines in the past few years for its record breaking price; but the city also has an unpleasant tag for being one of the poorest places in the nation…
A black jumbo watermelon auctioned in northern Japan fetched a record 650,000 yen (US$6,100) Friday, making it the most expensive watermelon ever sold in the country… and possibly the world.
The 8-kilogram premium Densuke watermelon, grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido, was purchased by a marine products dealer who said he wanted to support local agriculture, according to Kyodo News agency.
In a country where melons are a luxury item commonly given as gifts, the watermelon’s hefty price tag follows another jaw-dropping auction last month, where a pair of Yubari cantaloupe melons sold for a record 2.5 million yen (US$23,500).
“It’s a watermelon, but it’s not the same,” said Kazuyoshi Ohira, a spokesman for the Tohma Agricultural Cooperative in Hokkaido. “It has a different level of sweetness.” [Mainichi]
A pair of cantaloupes from Yubari, Japan, fetched a whopping two million yen (over $16,000 USD) at the first auction of the season in Sapporo. The price paid by department store chain Marui Imai has broken the previous record of 800,000 yen.
The melons, priced at a million yen apiece, were on display/sale at Marui Imai’s flagship outlet. A spokesman said that the melons were meant for publicity in celebration of their 135th anniversary instead of direct profit.
Yubari melons are known for their high quality and sweet taste. The melons are popular summer gifts in Japan. An average Yubari melon could cost $50-100 USD.
Giving gifts to corporate partners and clients is a Japanese tradition which is usually done twice a year, in mid-winter and mid-summer respectively.
[Update] The record was broken again in 2008 for two and a half million yen.