7 Most Expensive Fruits in Japan

In Japan, it is common to give fruit on special occasions just like how people exchange wines in America. The popularity of gifting means people are always looking for more delicious and beautiful fruits, so there is intense competition among farmers to produce sweet and flawless looking fruit. The competition for buying and producing aesthetic and flavorful fruit heats up the price as well, which makes some fruits the most expensive fruits in the world. Read on for Japan’s 7 most expensive fruits, and prepared to be amazed by the price tags.

Yubari King Melon: up to $45,000

The Snow Festival is not the only thing that Hokkaido is famous for. In Yubari, Hokkaido, you can find the most expensive melon in the world called Yubari King Melon. It is a type of cantaloupe and became famous for its high sugar content. Bokksu also introduced Yubari Melon Pure Jelly a few years ago in the Natsubate box. A top-grade Yubari King Melon has to be perfectly round and have no scars on the rind, and the first harvested pair of perfect Yubari King Melons have been sold for record-breaking prices. In a 2019 auction, a pair was sold for ¥5 million, that’s about $45,000 USD. Japanese people believe that the first harvest of the best quality fruit brings luck to them so they’re the most sought after. Japanese people are so enthusiastic about melon, they also have buns that taste like melon! Check out Natural Yeast Bread: Melon on our website.

Watermelon: up to $6,000

Watermelon is a popular gift in summer. However, there are more fun ways of giving watermelon. One way is giving Zentsuji watermelon, the square-shaped watermelon. This Japanese watermelon was first grown by a farmer in Zentsuji in the 1980s and became a popular gift and common decoration in Japan at around $80 to $200 for a premium watermelon. Due to the process of turning the watermelon into a cube though, they are inedible and are purely decorative. For those with even more room in their budget, another example is Densuke watermelon. The rind of this watermelon is very distinguishable from other watermelon because its rind is totally black without any stripes. Maybe it’s because it only grows in Hokkaido, but the price of a Densuke watermelon can go up to $6,000, which marks as the most expensive watermelon in the world.

Ruby Roman Grape: up to $460 per grape

Can you believe that someone paid $460 for one grape, not one bunch? One bunch of twenty-four Ruby Roman grapes was sold at $11,000 in the 2019 auction in Japan. Ruby Roman grape is a red grape originated from Ishikawa Prefecture, and is strictly inspected in order to be certified as Ruby Roman grape. Every grape of a bunch has to be more than 20 grams (0.7 ounce) and has to include at least 18% sugar content. In order to be a “Premium” Ruby Roman grape, each grape should be 30 grams (1 ounce) minimum. Try Japanese grapes with our Puré Gummy Petite.

Mango: up to $3,744

This probably is the most perfectly shaped mango one can dream of. Although its price can reach up to $3,744, Taiyo no Tamago (the eggs of the sun), an apple mango that is shaped just like an egg is worth giving as a present. It requires intense labor from covering mangos with a net to make a perfect shape, putting a net under the tree to prevent falling, and allowing all of them to get enough sunlight to create that beautiful red color. This Japanese mango was introduced by Miyazaki Prefecture, and has to meet certain criteria set by the Miyazaki Agriculture Economic Federation to be named a “Taiyo no Tamago.” The fact that only a small part of Japan has a subtropical climate contributes to higher price as well.

Apple: $21 an apple

Sekai (世界, world)-ichi (一, first) apple is literally the world’s best apple sizewise and pricewise. The Sekai-ichi apple can grow up to two pounds and is sold at around $21. This apple was invented in 1974 in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture and became popular because of its large size and delicious flavor. Farmers hand-pollinate them and inspect them by hand before sale. Now this Japanese apple is usually grown in Aomori Prefecture, Japan’s apple capital. It is recommended to eat as is, and goes well with other citrus fruits as well as sweets such as caramel and honey. Try these pairings with Apple Cooler Cold Brew Tea or Aomori Apple Caramel Yakkoi Sable.

Strawberry: up to $10 a berry

Strawberries in Japan are awesome. Maybe that is why our white strawberry is one of the most popular snacks in Bokksu. Japan’s love for strawberries is so intense that they invented more than 300 types of strawberries through crossbreeding. Among the 50 types of strawberry that are available on the market, some rarities are quite high-priced. One example is Shirou Houseki or “White Jewel” strawberry, which has white skin. In order to produce this color, the farmer has to limit the amount of sunlight it gets to prevent it from becoming red. Even with this effort, only 10% stays white, so this strawberry costs up to $10 each. To discover the taste of Japanese strawberries, check out our strawberry snacks.

Cherry: up to $7 per cherry

Yamagata Prefecture is the most famous cherry-growing region in Japan. Fruiting cherry trees were first introduced to Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), and after several years of failure, Japan discovered that Yamagata has the perfect climate for cherries. Ever since, Yamagata has been intensely growing cherries. You can taste Yamagata’s cherries in our Choco Magatte C’est Bon: Cherry Flavored Rice Puffs. Among all Japanese cherries, Sato Nishiki is the most popular cherry for its long shelf life, pretty look and amazing flavor. Due to its advantages, one cherry can cost up to $7.

Do you want to try some of Japanese fruit? Bokksu introduces a wide variety of snacks made with delicious Japanese fruit through our Monthly Bokksu, so please subscribe and be the first to taste fruits from Japan!