Fruit is generally expensive in Japan and the locals seem to buy the fruits only as luxury gifts. After the Watermelon auctioned for $6,100 and the $2000 mangoes, a bunch of grapes fetched a record $900 (for 35 grapes). "We believe the price was probably a record high," said local agricultural official Hirofumi Isu. Of course, as a French guy, I treasure grapes, but still… $26 per grape !
That's how much one hotel manager in Japan paid for a bunch of Ruby Roman grapes, though, at an auction in Japan's northwestern Ishikawa region where the grapes have been under state development since 1994. The average price for the Ruby Roman grapes at Monday's auction was about $240.
This guy purchased the grapes to serve his hotel guests. These tomato-colored grapes are supposedly sweet, refreshing and very well-balanced.
Japanese are often willing to pay top prices for high-end fruits, it is considered prestigious to be the first ones to buy the very first fruit of the year.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
$900 for 35 grapes
Monday, June 9, 2008
Watermelon auctioned for $6,100 in Japan
A black jumbo watermelon auctioned in northern Japan fetched a record $6,100 Friday, making it the most expensive watermelon ever sold in the country — and possibly the world.
The 17-pound 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.
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 $23,500.
And what makes a watermelon worth $200, much less $6,000?
Its unusual black skin, said Kazuyoshi Ohira, a spokesman for the Tohma Agricultural Cooperative in Hokkaido. Inside, the watermelon is crisp and hard. And, he says, it has unparalleled taste.
"It's a watermelon, but it's not the same," he said. "It has a different level of sweetness."
Other Densuke watermelons won't cost quite as much. Most will retail at department stores and supermarkets for a more modest 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen (U.S. $188 to U.S. $283), Ohira said.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Two mangoes auctioned for $2000
Two Mangoes were auctioned in Japan for a princely sum of 200,000 Yen ($ 2000). The reason? They are not just any mangoes as they come from the renowned Miyazaki prefecture in Southern Japan. These fruits are highly sought after in Japan, and particularly as the local governor, actor Hideo Higashikokubaru does heavy promotion for them. Foreigners are often surprised at exhorbant prices of fruits produced locally.
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