A bunch of about 30 Ruby Romans grapes in Japan sold for 1.1 million yen ($10947), a record price for the variety in the fruit-obsessed nation where the produce can be a huge status symbol. Ruby Romans are a variety only grown in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture. Ruby Romans are super-sweet grapes and grow to around the size of a ping pong ball. Seasonal fruit offerings in Japan routinely attract massive sums from buyers seeking social prestige, or from shop owners wanting to attract customers to ooh and ahh over the high-flying edibles.
The buyer of Thursday’s bunch of about 30 Ruby Romans, Takamaru Konishi from western Japan promised to dole out samples to a few fortunate patrons. He will display them at his store before giving samples to his few fortunate patrons. The 1.1 million-yen sale kicks off the auction season for Ruby Romans in Japan. Other fruits, from apples to watermelons, can also fetch jaw-dropping sums under the hammer.
Fruit is comparatively expensive in Japan and it is not unusual for a single apple to cost as much as 300 yen ($2.98). The king of fruits in Japan is the melon, which serves as a status symbol akin to a vintage wine, and is given as a high-ranking gift.
