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YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Hokkaido Prefecture

Japanese Hello Kitty melon

May 25, 2013 by Yein Jee

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.

hello-kitty-melon

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.

Filed Under: Offbeat Tagged With: Cute and adorable, East Asia, Hello Kitty, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Japanese Food

Sapporo Snow Festival 2012

February 12, 2012 by Yein Jee

Video fom Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival 2012, which opened on February 6th. Some of the sculptures are not of the highest quality to be frank, but looks like a cool winter event overall. Video by Ozzy78, music by Apefail…

Filed Under: Travel & Living Tagged With: Asia travel, Asian events, Asian videos, East Asia, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Japan travel, Japanese events, Sapporo City

Red panda snow fun

April 3, 2011 by Yein Jee

Two cute red panda cubs (twin sisters) having fun in snow at the Maruyama Zoo in Hokkaido, Japan. Video recorded in January by Miyanomayu3 [Jp]…

Filed Under: Offbeat Tagged With: Animals and pets, Asian videos, Cute and adorable, East Asia, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Pandas, Sapporo City

Yubari City – No Money But Love

July 13, 2009 by Yein Jee

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…

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Asian videos, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Yubari City

$6,100 for a Densuke black watermelon

June 7, 2008 by Yein Jee

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.

Expensive Densuke watermelon

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]

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Expensive Food, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Luxury Goods, Unusual and weird, World records, Yubari City

$16,000 USD for a pair of Yubari melons

May 18, 2007 by Yein Jee

Expensive Japanese Yubari melonsA 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.

Filed Under: Offbeat Tagged With: Expensive Food, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan blog, Japanese Food, Luxury Goods, Sapporo City, Yubari City

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Yein Jee is a Malaysian traveller, food lover & self proclaimed entrepreneur. This blog is about Asian culture, lifestyle, travel, food, fun and entertainment ... Read More...

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