Unusual record news and odd Japan news merged yesterday, when the most expensive bunch of grapes-a fruit assemblage engineered by the Japanese government, incidentally-sold for a record amount at an auction in Kanazawa, Japan. The grapes were of the highly sought-after Ruby Roman variety, which are grown in Ishikawa prefecture.
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The Ruby Roman grape is a much-sought after fruit developed by the Ishikawa Prefectural Government and has a high sugar content of at least 18 per cent. Grapes must weight at least 20 grams to be accepted into the market.
A bunch of grapes in Tokyo sold for £8,350 today, a record price even in a nation as obsessed with fruit as Japan.
People in Japan often pay high pieces for seasonal fruit, but Thursday’s sale was a record high.
Elaborately packaged, expensive fruit is not new in Japan, either. In Japan, however, grapes are seen as a status symbol.
This year’s victor says he will share a select samples of his prize with a few lucky patrons.
“These are truly Ruby Roman gems”, bidder Takamaru Konishi from western Japan told media. Past year a pair of melons sold under the hammer for nearly $20,000, according to The Guardian.
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The pricey grapes will be put on display at the store and given out to shoppers for free, he said.
