Popular And Has A High Price In Japan, Ornamental Square Watermelon Farmers Only 7 People

Decorative square watermelon. (Wikimedia Commons/Jazreel Chan)

JAKARTA - Japanese farmers began harvesting and shipping ornamental square watermelons to wholesalers for the 2021 period on Wednesday 30 June, which is expected to continue until next July.

Originally from Zentsuji Province, the ornamental square watermelon is a 'weird' fruit but has a high price. This year, the average price per fruit reaches around 10 thousand yen or 90 US dollars, around Rp. 1.3 million.

It's called odd, because square watermelons are harvested while they are still unripe, inedible and generally purchased as a garnish in places like department stores and fruit shops.

Shaped into cubes of about 18 centimeters, square watermelons are grown in a transparent plastic container made of an iron frame, allowing enough sunlight. The development of this watermelon began decades ago, with the goal of creating a fruit that is easy to store in the refrigerator.

Square watermelon illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Csman)

Unfortunately, although it is quite popular and has an expensive price, the number of ornamental square watermelon farmers continues to decline drastically, until now only seven people are left due to lack of successors.

This year, the harvest had to be carried out a week later, due to low temperatures since April that hit Japan. However, the average fruit weighs up to 6 kilograms.

"I hope people will enjoy seeing these watermelons and taking away the summer heat," said Toshiyuki Yamashita, 73, who co-developed the square watermelon with his father, citing Kyodo News.

According to Atlas Obscura, Zentusji City in Kagawa Prefecture is the center of Japan's square watermelon industry, and many reports credit a local farmer who developed the idea in the 1980s.

Square watermelon in fruit shop. (Wikimedia Commons/Cat)

However, in 1978, a Japanese horticulturist and artist named Tomoyuki Ono applied for a patent for the 'natural fruit printing process'. Ono discovered that melons placed in a 'transparent molded frame' would grow according to the lid. And he exhibits his work in gallery exhibitions.

When square watermelons hit the market in 1979, they sold for about US$20 per fruit in Tokyo, compared to US$9 for a regular watermelon, United Press International reported at the time.

Although Ono's patent claims that 'printed fruit tastes no less than natural fruit', today's square watermelons are usually more to look at than eat. Because, this fruit is harvested before it is fully ripe and mostly serves as a decorative gift.