A pair of Yubari melons from Hokkaido sold for a record 5.8 million yen (US$36,500) at Japan’s first melon auction of the season, exceeding the previous record of 5 million yen (US$31,500) set in 2019.
The melons were sold at a wholesale market in Sapporo.
The successful bidder was Futami Seika Co., a fruit and vegetable wholesaler based in Kushiro. The melons were later sold to Keio Store Co., which plans to display them at a supermarket in Tokyo until Sunday.
© Kyodo
“I hope the people in Tokyo will enjoy these Hokkaido melons,” said Hirokazu Okubo, head of sales at Futami Seika.
Yubari melons are known in Japan for their orange flesh and are commonly marketed as gift fruit.
According to Yubari’s agricultural cooperative, growers in the region plan to ship 3,086 tons of melons valued at approximately 2.12 billion yen (US$13.3 million) during the current season.
Peak harvesting is expected during June and July.
The report noted that premium fruit auctions in Japan often attract high prices at the start of the season, with buyers using the purchases for promotional purposes.
Source: The Mainichi
Publication date:
Mon 25 May 2026
AloJapan.com