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Wholesaler Futami Seika won the bid for the two Yubari melons, and later sold them to Keio Store, which plans to display them at one of its supermarkets in Tokyo.
PHOTO: EPA
A pair of premium melons grown on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido fetched a record 5.8 million yen (S$46,600) at the first auction of 2026 on May 22, beating the previous all-time high of 5 million yen in 2019.
The successful bidder for the pricey cantaloupes, a signature product of the city of Yubari, was the company Futami Seika, a Kushiro-based fruit and vegetable wholesaler. The melons were later sold to Keio Store, which plans to display them at one of its supermarkets in Tokyo until May 24.
“I hope the people in Tokyo will enjoy these Hokkaido melons,” said Mr Hirokazu Okubo, Futami Seika’s head of sales who was involved in the successful bid at a wholesale market in Sapporo.
Known for their juicy orange flesh and sweetness, Yubari melons are often sent as gifts in Japan.
According to Yubari’s agricultural cooperative, local farmers plan to ship 3 million kg of melons worth around 2.12 billion yen in 2026, with peak harvesting expected in June and July. KYODO NEWS
