YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Japanese Food

USD920 for a bunch of premium grapes in Japan

by

A bunch of premium grapes were auctioned for 100,000 yen (~US$920) in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, on Monday (August 11). The bunch weighed around 700g and had 35 grapes, which converts to about $26 per grape.

These expensive grapes are a new variety called the Ruby Roman; nurtured by the Kaga Fruit Land in Ishikawa. It’s said to be the largest grapes in Japan, about 3cm in diameter. The average price for the Ruby Romans at Monday’s auction was about 27,000 yen ($248) per bunch. [via Nikkei]

Expensive Ruby Roman grapes from Ishikawa, JapanRuby Roman farmland in Ishikawa, Japan
The Ruby Roman grapes (Image from Rubyroman and Chunichi)

Check out some other expensive Japanese fruits… the Yubari cantaloupes and the Densuke watermelons.

Sexy Japanese McDonald’s Commercial

by

Japanese commercial for McDonald’s Tomato Grande burger. Yum yum…

[Update] The advertisement gone viral again in 2015 because of the model’s resemblance to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.

The model’s name is actually Agota Varga and she’s from Romania; she has featured in campaigns for well-known fashion and cosmetic brands in Europe.

$16,000 USD for a pair of Yubari melons

by

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.