News On Japan

Price of Hokkaido melons at season's first auction drops sharply

May 26 (Japan Times) - A pair of melons grown in the Hokkaido city of Yubari sold for ¥120,000 ($1,100) in the season's first auction on Monday, 2.4 percent of the price at last year's auction.

Prices for the two premium cantaloupes at the wholesale market have generally gone over above ¥1 million in recent years, with the all-time high of ¥5 million paid last year and ¥3.2 million in 2018.

"The result (this year) mirrors the situation of the novel coronavirus pandemic," said an official at the wholesale market.

The successful bidder, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler based in Kushiro, Hokkaido, said it opted to bid in the auction this year to show its gratitude and support for local farmers. It will display the melons at a shopping center in Sapporo on Monday and start selling them Tuesday.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A passenger car was captured speeding across the frame from left to right by a security camera just moments before a fatal crash in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, that claimed the lives of four vocational school students.

A fire broke out on the evening of April 25th on an electronic billboard attached to the Yodobashi Camera commercial complex in front of JR Osaka Station, prompting a large emergency response. No injuries were reported.

Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.

The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.

A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

After 77 years, Tokyo is set to return blue skies to Nihonbashi as the city buries its expressways underground and reimagines its historic heart.

The Emperor and Empress attended the Greenery Ceremony, an annual event honoring researchers who have made outstanding contributions in fields such as plant and forest conservation.

Nearly three months after a road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, authorities are preparing to resume the search for the missing truck driver as early as next week.

The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.

A woman’s body discovered in a freezer at a residence in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, is now believed to have been concealed there for approximately four and a half years, police announced.

A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."

A man who was charged with committing an act of abuse against his young daughter and distributing a video of the incident through a private social media group admitted to the allegations during his first court appearance.

A monkey walking upright on two legs was spotted in a residential area of Tokyo on April 23rd, drawing attention as it crossed a street in the rain before entering a nearby field and munching on crops.