The square watermelon, a popular local delicacy in Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, will be available for purchase beginning Monday (3rd July 2023). Square watermelons are harvested before fully ripening to extend their shelf life and are therefore unfit for ingestion. Their distinct appearance, on the other hand, makes them extremely attractive as decorative pieces.
According to Kyodo News, eight farmers are currently producing square watermelons. Each watermelon costs 10,000 Japanese yen (about RM 322) at wholesale, and it is expected that 300 watermelons will be transported by mid-July.
The square watermelons are shaped like dice, with each side measuring about 18 centimeters. They were created some 50 years ago by a production team in Kagawa Prefecture with the goal of revitalizing local agriculture. Watermelons are placed in box-shaped containers once they reach a specific size to give them their distinctive form.
However, the number of square watermelon producers has been declining in recent years, and they have struggled to find replacements. Fortunately, three new farmers have joined the industry this year. Keitaro Sugimoto, a 34-year-old farmer who transitioned from the sheet metal sector to agriculture, is without a doubt one of the “new forces” driving square watermelon output. “I will improve my cultivation techniques next year,” he said, “and the future of square watermelons looks promising.”
