Black watermelon fetches record ¥650,000 in Hokkaido

A black jumbo watermelon auctioned in Toma, Hokkaido, fetched a record ¥650,000 Friday, making it the most expensive watermelon ever sold in Japan — and possibly the world.

Eye-popping: A man holds the price tag of a 650,000 yen Densuke watermelon auctioned off Friday at a market in Toma, Hokkaido. KYODO PHOTO

The 8-kg premium Densuke watermelon, grown only in Hokkaido, was purchased by a marine products dealer who said he wanted to support local agriculture. The dealer said he plans to resell the fruit in an Internet auction.

In a country where melons are a luxury item commonly given as gifts, the watermelon's hefty sale follows another jaw-dropping auction last month, where a pair of Yubari cantaloupes sold for a record ¥2.5 million.

Friday's winning bid drew a gasp even from veterans of the expensive-fruit market.

"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 Toma Agricultural Cooperative.

The watermelon was the first of 65 sold as part of the season's initial harvest and one of 9,000 expected for the year. Unseasonably warm weather in April and May helped boost the sugar content and overall quality of the fruit this year, Ohira said.

Other Densuke watermelons won't cost quite as much. Most will retail at department stores and supermarkets for a more modest ¥20,000 to ¥30,000, Ohira said.

And what makes a watermelon worth so much?

Its unusual black skin, Ohira said. Inside, the watermelon is crisp and hard. And, he said, it has unparalleled taste.

"It's a watermelon, but it's not the same," he said. "It has a different level of sweetness."