A pair of premium Yubari melons fetched a record 5.8 million yen (about S$46,600) at the first auction of the 2026 season held on May 22 in Sapporo, Japan [1, 2]. The winning bid surpassed the previous record of 5 million yen set in 2019 [1].
The melons were purchased by Futami Seika, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler based in Kushiro, Hokkaido [1, 2]. The company plans to resell the melons to Keio Store, which will display them at its Tokyo supermarket until May 24 or before tasting events begin next week [1, 2]. Hirokazu Okubo, an executive at Futami Seika, said, "I hope the people in Tokyo will enjoy these Hokkaido melons" and added, "We have the finest crop. We want people across Japan to savor Yubari melons" [1, 2].
Yubari melons are a specialty product of Yubari city, known for their juicy orange flesh and sweet taste. They are often given as gifts in Japan [1, 2]. The May 22 auction sold a total of 912 melons [2].
Yubari’s agricultural cooperative expects to ship around 3 million kilograms (3,086 tons) of melons in 2026, with a sales value estimated between 2.1 and 2.12 billion yen [1, 2]. The crop benefited from light winter snowfall and favorable spring weather, which helped the melons mature smoothly [2].
Yubari city is nearing the end of a fiscal rehabilitation plan and expects to clear its liabilities by the end of the current fiscal year [2].
The record-selling melons will be on display at Keio Store in Tokyo until May 24 or until tasting events start next week [1, 2].
