Cherry sold for 590 euros in Japan

In a Tokyo market, a cherry of the Yamagata Benio variety has been sold for 100,000 yen (approximately 590 euros). The cherry comes from Yamagata prefecture in western Japan and is distinguished by its considerably larger size and deeper red colour compared to other varieties.

 

The fruit was grown by Yoshimi Kanehira, a 76-year-old farmer who received an award for his large fruits the previous year. Although Yamagata Benio has the same sugar content as the well-known Sato Nishiki variety, it differs in its lower acidity, firmer flesh and longer shelf life.

 

It is common in Japan for auctions to be held at the beginning of the agricultural season for the first products, which often fetch high prices more for their advertising and symbolic value than for their profitability.