Rare Watermelon Fetches $6,000 in Japanese Auction

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(NaturalNews) A 17-pound, black "Densuke" watermelon was sold for a record $6,100 in Japan on the opening day of the agricultural season.

"This is the highest price on record for a Densuke watermelon, and that probably means it's the highest of any watermelon in Japanese history," said Kazuyoshi Ohira, a spokesman for the Tohma Agricultural Cooperative in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The price is also believed to be the most paid for any watermelon in the world, although Jun Otsuki, of the Guinness World Records' Tokyo office, said that because there are no records, it is impossible to be sure.

Densuke watermelons grow only in Hokkaido. Their skin is so dark green as to be almost black, and they are said to be crisp and hard, with a taste unlike that of any other watermelon.

"It's a watermelon, but it's not the same," Ohira said.

Melons of all kinds are considered a delicacy in Japan, and are popular as presents during the summer gift-giving season. Being able to purchase or give away the first melon of a season is considered a mark of great status.

Densuke watermelons typically sell for between $188 and $283 each. The record-breaking watermelon was one of only 65 from the year's first harvest, and one of only 9,000 expected to be harvested in the entire year. The largest Densuke watermelon of the first harvest, weighing 24 pounds, was sold in an upscale Tokyo department store for $5,800.

The 17-pound melon was purchased by a marine products dealer who said that he was willing to pay so much in order to support local agriculture.

Melons are selling for record prices in Japan this year, helped along by an unusually warm April and May, which boosted the sugar content and quality of the fruits. In May, another record was broken when two Yubari cantaloupes were sold in Japan for $23,500.

Sources for this story include: biz.yahoo.com; www.telegraph.co.uk.

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