Even one of Japan's most priciest fruits is not immune to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the first auction of the season of the Yubari Melon at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market on Monday morning, a boxed set of two fetched just 120,000 yen -- 2% of the record price of 5 million yen last year.
"The reason is that the number of tourists dropped considerably and department stores have closed because of the coronavirus," said Takeshi Kizawa, 62, administrator of the auction.
To prevent infections at the market, auctions have been closed to public since March. On Monday, only brokers were present, and they maintained appropriate social distancing while making their bids.
The winning bid for the first Yubari Melon came from the Sapporo branch of Futami Seika, a leading green grocery wholesaler.
In recent years, the Yubari Melon has consistently fetched over 1 million yen at the first auction.
"The price dropped, but we have a nice lineup of delicious melons," Kizawa said. "I want everyone to eat Hokkaido-grown products with a smile."
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