A few years back, there was a report that wealthy people in Russia were paying over $800 for Japanese square watermelons. In Russia, that’s supposedly 300 times the price of a regular watermelon. But why square Japanese watermelons? That’s so passé!
Watermelon is a popular summer fruit in Japan. People give watermelons as gifts and play “suikawari” (スイカ割り), which is like piñata, but with a watermelon.
Depending on the size, a whole watermelon costs around ten bucks in Japan. Then, there are the luxury watermelons, which most people typically don’t buy or eat
Square and pyramid shaped watermelon #onlyinjapan #summer #スイカ pic.twitter.com/oIH7mquWbM
— Andrea Clements (@andrea_clements) August 4, 2016
This is where watermelons get interesting, odd, and effing expensive.
Many of these watermelons took years of practice to get their shape right. They are grown in special containers or molds. The heart-shape watermelon (see below), for example, took three years to get just right. Farmers fuss over these melons, which are usually grown in very small batches.
Be aware that prices vary depending on the fruit vendor
四角スイカ pic.twitter.com/RlDlGsIFvr
— れん🐥 (@lotus_sazanami) July 13, 2018
三越の地下で「四角スイカ」を売ってた。１個２万１６００円！ pic.twitter.com/lUn5sDV9ZZ
— ワクワク (@sayusayu1207) August 15, 2018
The iconic square watermelon is not a regular sight at most Japanese supermarkets. I’ve lived here 17 years, and I’ve seen only a couple over the years. The novelty melon is usually priced in the neighborhood of $100 each, but they can approach $200.
一際目立つ大きなスイカがスーパーで売ってあった。
北海道月形町で作っている「ゴジラのたまご」
味はちゃんと甘くて美味しいらしい。＠いとく 秋田新国道店 pic.twitter.com/LayKecV9iv
— 無免許 (@gohansujiko) August 14, 2018
This is a “Godzilla Egg” watermelon. It’s… very large and comes in a neat crate. I did see one of these once—maybe about ten years ago. The shape isn’t that special. Prices vary between $68 and $150.
近くのスーパーにあったゴジラのたまご
ゴジラのたまごって緑色なのか…(違 pic.twitter.com/JRXdrbsWZX— シノアルフォード@白狼Vstreamer (@Shino_Alford017) August 15, 2018
The heart-shaped watermelon first started getting attention in 2009. There are now mini versions, too, which are priced at around $200. Large heart-shaped watermelons can be yours for around $350 or higher
https://twitter.com/embed/status/762603534516748288
https://twitter.com/embed/status/758572648305561601
https://twitter.com/embed/status/868330895433842688
https://twitter.com/embed/status/987987019488940032
As far as shapes go, this might be closest to the traditional round watermelons you find in Japan. It’s called a “dynamite watermelon” and is packaged to look like a bomb. Its slogan is “An explosion of delicious taste!” It’s priced at around $70 or so, making it one of the more inexpensive watermelons
https://twitter.com/embed/status/762852454811643909
https://twitter.com/embed/status/627471365243715584
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1021205950353379329
This is a pyramid watermelon that’s shaped like, wait for it, a pyramid. They’ve been around for a while (since 2004 or so), and start at around $500.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1029966201324097537
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1029633429086695425
https://twitter.com/embed/status/365770341991198721
This one costs nearly $1,000!
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1021270832088170496
Here is a watermelon that was grown to look like acalabash, which is an unusually shaped fruit
https://twitter.com/embed/status/616188588770750464
Next to the square melon, you are looking at a “jinmen suika” (人面スイカ), which literally means a “human face watermelon.”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/863704054584590336
The Japanese media discovered this watermelon in 2011, and it’s priced at around $500 and up, with some of the larger melons costing over a thousand bucks! The watermelon is grown using special-shaped clips that leave imprints and create a human-like face. The price isn’t the only scary thing about this melon
https://twitter.com/embed/status/234947384826810368
These melons are good examples of how preoccupied Japanese can be with not only food presentation, but imbuing that presentation with a sense of playfulness.
This article was originally published on July 18, 2013. It has since been updated.
