Hokkaido's famed Yubari melons, which fetch incredible prices when they first go on sale in Japan, will be offered in Hong Kong, today, June 20 in an effort to raise their brand image.
Plans are to sell 200 of the melons in department stores and major grocery stores in the southern Chinese city. It will be the first time the fruit has been exported.
“Hong Kong consumers love fruit, and a survey showed melons are usually high on the list of Japanese foods that they would love to try,” said an official with Tokyo-based Dole Japan Inc., which is spearheading the sale.
Some residents of Hong Kong even make trips to Hokkaido just for the melons.
The Japan Agricultural Cooperatives in Yubari has arranged air shipments of the fruit to Hong Kong.
Yubari melons are renowned for their appetizing bright orange flesh, making them popular gifts. However, demand for the fruit as a summer gift in Japan has remained stagnant in recent years.
The melons are expected to sell for more than 4,000 yen ($39) apiece in Hong Kong.
Two of the first melons of 2014 were sold in a box for 2.5 million yen ($25,000).
