Black Japanese watermelon sold at record price
By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA (AP)
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(AP)
A black jumbo watermelon produced in Japan's northern
island of Hokkaido is on sale for 630,000 yen... |
TOKYO
(AP) - A jumbo black watermelon auctioned in Japan on Friday
fetched a record $6,100, making it one of the most expensive
watermelons ever sold in the country.
In a society where melons
are a luxury item commonly given as gifts, the watermelon's
hefty price tag followed another jaw-dropping auction last month,
when a pair of "Yubari" cantaloupe melons sold for
a record $23,500.
The 17-pound, black-skinned
"Densuke" watermelon, a variety grown only on the
northern island of Hokkaido, was purchased Friday by a marine
products dealer who said he wanted to support local agriculture,
according to Kyodo News agency.
The price was the highest
on record for a Densuke watermelon, said Kazuyoshi Ohira, a
spokesman for the Tohma Agricultural Cooperative in Hokkaido.
Most retail at department stores and supermarkets for a more
modest $188 to $283, Ohira said.
And what makes a watermelon
worth $200, much less $6,000?
Ohira says it's the unusual
black skin and unparalleled taste. "It's a watermelon,
but it's not the same," he said