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Pair of melons sold for 2.5 million yen

May 13th, 2008 by James

Thought that the 200,000 yen paid for some mangoes in April was ridiculous? How about 2.5 million yen for a pair of melons:

A pair of Yubari melons, a premium orange-fleshed cantaloupe variety from Hokkaido, sold for 2.5 million yen in this harvest season’s first auction held Tuesday at the Sapporo City Central Wholesale Markets.

The price is a record high, surpassing the 2 million yen a pair fetched last year, according to Yubari’s agricultural cooperative. The winning bidder of what was considered the best pair Tuesday was Ibi, a Sapporo-based dealer of seafood products and local souvenir goods.

“We wanted to provide an upbeat topic of conversion to Yubari, which has been hit by a spate of bleak news,” an official of the company said. Yubari, a former coal-mining town with a population of around 12,500, is undergoing severe fiscal rehabilitation measures after it was effectively declared bankrupt last year.

The melons were put up for sale at 1.25 million yen a piece at a retail outlet of the company. “While it is not something in the reach of an ordinary citizen, it is a feat to our eyes,” said Hisako Sato, a 70-year-old woman who was shopping near the market.



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12 Comments »

Comment by helical
2008-05-13 19:43:21

What.

 
Comment by RYO
2008-05-13 21:24:27

At first glance, I thought this was going to be one of those NSFW-type posts. Alas…

Comment by the overthinker
2008-05-14 02:09:12

I was hoping, too….

 
 
Comment by phauna
2008-05-13 21:27:52

Rockmelon is about two hundred yen in Australia.

 
Comment by Turner Wright
2008-05-13 23:13:42

Have there ever been any “fruit scams” in Japan? I could sell my banana for 15,000 yen if someone would take it.

 
Comment by morningstar
2008-05-14 02:29:11

WHY?

 
Comment by ashredrum
2008-05-14 03:31:16

I’d have to pass from the taste explosion in my mouth or I’d want my money back…

 
Comment by me
2008-05-14 04:44:27

Can someone more enlightened please explain Why? What’s the appeal for someone to spend this much money on melons?

 
Comment by Turner
2008-05-14 11:45:47

That’s not the worst part; they’re not going to eat it, just sit and watch it rot.

 
Comment by Irene
2008-05-14 14:38:57

First of all, melons in Japan are considered luxury food, and especially Yubari Melons are considered one of the best.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%95%E5%BC%B5%E3%83%A1%E3%83%AD%E3%83%B3
My mom, who didn’t grow up in Japan, was surprised to see that melons were served in a wedding she attended in Japan.
It’s like 200 yen in the U.S. also.

 
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