A black-rind watermelon grown in Hokkaido fetched a winning bid price of 300,000 yen ($3723) on Monday, the highest marked at this harvest season’s first auction held at a fresh produce market in Sapporo that day. An auction for the premium Densuke watermelon, a signature product of the town of Toma, was also held in Asahikawa on Japan’s northernmost island, where the president of a seafood company in Toma bought one for 250,000 yen ($3102), marking the highest winning opening-day bid for four consecutive years at the market.
A total of 104 Densuke watermelons, known for their black and shiny skin, were auctioned off at the two markets Monday. Some 67,000 watermelons are scheduled to be shipped this season and will be sold at a retail price of about 5,000 yen ($62) each.