News Square watermelon shipping season begins in Takamatsu

They're square, they don't taste so good, but they're expensive.

Farmers in western Japan began shipping ornamental square watermelons on Tuesday, with around 400 expected to be sent out by the middle of July. Each sells for about 10,000 yen (around $62). The cube-shaped fruit is a speciality of Zentsuji in Kagawa Prefecture. It has very little sweetness and is not intended for eating. Even so, its unusual look has made it a popular summer decoration.



The watermelons are grown inside transparent square containers fitted with metal frames once the fruit reaches a certain size. As they continue to grow, they gradually take on a cube shape measuring about 18 centimetres on each side.

A local growers' group developed the watermelon about 50 years ago in an effort to produce fruit that would fit more easily inside refrigerators. Seven farms currently grow the cubic melons. Producers and other workers gathered at a collection centre in the morning to check each watermelon's shape before packing them into boxes.

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Here's how they are grown:


And here's what's inside: