Melons in Japan

[thereisnospoon]

A friend at work who is married to a Japanese lady told me that melons in Japan are really expensive. He said that normal ones cost about ﾂ｣30 each and that the more unusual variety can cost about ﾂ｣80, is he winding me up or are they really that expensive?

 

[Amy]

fruit in Japan is very expensive! I've seen melons about $25-50(US) and I'm sure they could get even more expensive. Absolutely delicious though!

 

[Maciamo]

That is true. You acn find ordinary melons ar 10,000yen (50pounds) in almost any supermarket. During the season, it is possible to buy some for 500 to 1000yen, although the 3000, 5000 and 10,000yen remain on the shelves (and look identical). I don't know why there are such differences. They are not even different varieties. Just unrefrained luxury...

 

[RockLee]

I wonder, is this because it's imported ?? :?

 

[Ewok85]

Most of the time its Japanese grown melons.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

If You Thought....

this post might be about boobs, raise your hand!

Frank

 

[bossel]

I wonder, is this because it's imported ?? :?

If that would be the reason Japan must have huge customs duty on melons. Most melons in Germany are imported, they cost around 1竄ｬ per kilogram, in the past weeks often below 0.50 竄ｬ.
I really wonder how a price of 50 Pounds is possible. Protectionism?

 

[Lina Inverse]

I don't know how much truth is in it, but in one story in the series "Get Backers", they are tasked with getting back an extremely precious treasure (their client said it would be worth 10 mio.), and as they finally managed to accomplish this after some extremely tough fights, the treasure turns out to be a melon - a supposedly extremely rare "Platinum melon"

I really can't imagine why melons (or other fruit at all) would be so extremely pricey... as Bossel said, they're very cheap over here, and they melon's way to Japan isn't really farther...

 

[Maciamo]

:?

I wonder, is this because it's imported ?? :?

Imported ones are much cheaper. Most fruits and vegetables that are expensive in Japan are home-grown. Eg. bananas (imported) are still cheap.

 

[Lina Inverse]

Imported ones are much cheaper. Most fruits and vegetables that are expensive in Japan are home-grown. Eg. bananas (imported) are still cheap.

Really? Then why is the home-grown stuff so much more expensive?
Normally you would expect it to be the other way round...

 

[bezz]

夕張メロン

Yubari began producing melons in 1960 and has become number one in Japan both in acreage and value of production. In 1999, production was 6,462tons, acreage was 331 hectares and the value of production exceeded ﾂ･3.2billion.

Link 1 Link 2

 

[Vodkee]

$25 bucks for a melon!?! I'll remember that next time I'm eating my $1.50 watermelon! ;-)

 

[Malaika]

and it doesn't help that I can't read japanese when I clicked on both of the links.

also I am guessing that melons in japan are considered a delicacy(sp?) right?