Two high-quality Japanese watermelons were auctioned off at a price of nearly $ 25,000, 22 times more than last year at the height of the Coronavirus crisis.
However, the 2.7 million yuan ($ 24,800) price that Yubari watermelon earned in its first auction of the season remains minuscule compared to other records set by this much-loved product.
"The return of prices to rise this year may indicate the desire of buyers to encourage people by making higher offers," one of the officials in charge of the wholesale market told AFP.
A local baby food manufacturer won the auction, and its president expressed his hope that this purchase would contribute to spreading some positive atmosphere.
"Although the bad news is still a lot, I hope this will help put a smile on people´s faces and help them overcome the pandemic," he told the public broadcaster NHK.
Seasonal fruit displays in Japan frequently attract buyers seeking free publicity.
In 2019, the price of Yubari watermelon reached a record high of five million yen, but the amount decreased to only 120,000 yen in 2020, while the producers held the health crisis responsible for deporting the wealthy buyers who usually raise the value of auctions.
These fruits come from the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan, which is a popular tourist destination. But Hokkaido is currently under a health emergency, similar to nine other provinces in the country, including the capital, Tokyo.
