Premium watermelons in Japan can sell for thousands of dollars, with rare Densuke watermelons fetching up to $6,100 at auction!
Japan's $6,000 Watermelons Are Real (And Black)
In 2008, a single watermelon sold at auction in Japan for ¥650,000—roughly $6,100 USD. For a fruit. That's more than some people's monthly rent, all for 17 pounds of premium produce.
Welcome to Japan's luxury fruit market, where melons aren't just snacks—they're status symbols, corporate gifts, and agricultural art.
The Densuke: Japan's Black Diamond
That $6,100 melon was a Densuke watermelon, a rare variety grown exclusively on Hokkaido Island. What makes them special? They're jet black, perfectly round, and incredibly scarce—only about 10,000 are grown each year.
Densuke watermelons undergo rigorous quality control. Each one is hand-tended, and only the most flawless specimens make it to market. The result is a watermelon with exceptionally crisp texture and concentrated sweetness that regular varieties can't match.
At retail, standard Densuke melons cost around ¥5,000 ($48). But at seasonal opening auctions, where businesses compete for the prestige of owning the year's first harvest, prices skyrocket:
- 2008: $6,100 (world record)
- 2016: $4,796
- 2021: $3,700
- 2022: $2,000
It's Not Just Watermelons
Japan's luxury fruit obsession extends far beyond Densuke melons. Square watermelons—grown in glass boxes to create perfect cubes—sell for $200+ each. The catch? They're purely ornamental and completely inedible.
Then there are pyramid watermelons (around $633), ruby Roman grapes (up to $12,000 per bunch), and Yubari King melons (which have sold for $29,000 a pair).
Why So Expensive?
In Japanese culture, fruit-giving is serious business. Premium fruits are traditional corporate gifts, hospital presents, and symbols of respect. Showing up with a perfect $500 melon demonstrates thoughtfulness and status in a way that flowers or wine simply don't.
The astronomical auction prices also serve a purpose: they generate media coverage that benefits the entire region's agricultural reputation. That $6,100 watermelon was essentially a marketing investment for Hokkaido's produce industry.
So yes, you can buy a watermelon for $6,000 in Japan. But you're not just buying fruit—you're buying craftsmanship, rarity, and a slice of Japanese gift-giving culture.
