Magnificent melons

Whilst mouth-watering melons are popular all over the world, the Japanese in particular are very fond of the big and juicy variety. A point that was amply proven yesterday, when a department store in Sapporo paid a record 2 million yen (8,300 dollar each) for a pair of Yubari cantaloupes. Easily beating the previous but still preposterous price of 400,000 yen.

A spokesman for the department store in question said that the well-proportioned pair were bought with publicity rather than profit in mind, claiming, “We were bullish in the bidding because we’re celebrating our 135th anniversary this year. We wanted as many customers as possible to see them.”

Whilst one of the melons has rather amazingly been sold, 79-year-old shopper Ryoko Hino summed up the feelings of the majority of Japanese by stating, “It’s not a price I can afford.” An attempt to grab a couple of good-sized coconuts perhaps the best most of us can ever hope for.