Black-rind watermelon grown in Hokkaido fetches a record 300,000 yen in Japan

Hokkaido watermelon
A black-rind watermelon grown in Hokkaido drew a ¥300,000($3162) bid Monday in the year’s first watermelon auction. The bid for one of the 110 premium Densuke watermelons, a signature product of the town of Toma, matched the top bids fetched in both 2011 and 2012.

Shunichi Anzai
The successful bidder at the Asahikawa market was Shunichi Anzai, 33, who operates a supermarket chain. He placed the ¥300,000($3162)bid as this year marks the 30th anniversary of Densuke production. After displaying the watermelon at one of his outlets, Shunichi Anzai will invite my customers to bid for it. A Farming cooperative in Toma plans to ship 67,000 Densuke melons this year, with each expected to retail for about ¥5,000 ($52).

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