The Fascinating Story Behind Japan’s Square Watermelons

What if I told you that you can buy a watermelon that’s square in shape, pay an insane amount of money for it, and not even eat it? No, I am not joking. Welcome to the world of Japanese square watermelons! 

Japan is famously known for its expensive fruits and square watermelons are no exceptions. Yes, we are talking about real watermelons, but instead of cutting them for a juicy slice, you find a place for them on your display shelves. 

These quirky fruits are grown not for their taste but for their looks, designed to be decorative or given as luxurious gifts. Let’s dive into what makes these square watermelons so special!

What Are Japanese Square Watermelons? 

The primary difference between regular watermelons and Japanese square watermelons is their shape. Japanese square watermelons, known as Shikaku Suika (四角スイカ, しかくすいか) in Japanese, are exactly what they sound like: watermelons that are grown into a square shape. Unlike your typical round watermelon, these melons are grown inside cube-shaped containers. This allows them to take on the form of the box as they grow. 

The concept was developed in Japan in the 1970s by a local farmer named Tomoyuki Ono in the city of Zentsuji in Kagawa, a region already famous for growing regular watermelons. Ono has patented the square box growing technique which means that square watermelons can only be legally grown in Zentsuji. 

The city of Zentsuji takes pride for its famous Japanese square watermelon farms and only the best grown of the lot are allowed to be shipped and sold. 

These watermelons that qualify to be shipped have to meet certain criterias like: 

• They have to weigh anywhere between 5.5kg to 8kg. An average Zentsuji square watermelon weighs around 6kgs
• They need to have vertically aligned stripes on the outside. 

Only when the square watermelon is worthy enough, it is sent out to supermarkets and stores with an official sticker of Zentsuji farm on it.

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So why did Ono start growing these in the first place? You see, fitting large, round watermelons into small refrigerators can be difficult and messy. So Ono developed this box shaped fruit as a solution to this issue. The uniformed shape makes them easier to stack and store, which is pretty important in Japan, as space is often limited.

Although they were originally created for a practical purpose, growing square watermelons did not sustain to be used for its intended purpose. The shape could only be achieved if the fruit was harvested before it was ripe. 

Even if the fruit was allowed to ripen completely, the cost of growing it was simply too high for a perishable item. Growing a regular shaped watermelon cost much less than its square counterpart and it even tasted better! 

Due to this, these watermelons are now typically seen as luxury items, often sold as ornamental fruits rather than for consumption. Despite their eye-catching appearance, most Japanese square watermelons are not meant to be eaten due to their lack of ripeness. So if you were thinking of buying a square watermelon to eat, now is the time to rethink that. 

When someone does happen to taste a square watermelon, it’s mostly for the novelty rather than taste, as regular watermelons are much more flavorful and juicy. They are more of a visual delight and a status symbol for those who can afford them.

How Are Square Watermelons Grown? 

Growing a square watermelon is not a difficult task—you can do it in your backyard with some technical knowledge and farming techniques. Here are a few things you need to know to grow a square watermelon: 

• Place a young watermelon in a square watermelon mold made from either glass or metal. 
• Make sure that the molds are smaller than the size of a matured watermelon. 
• As the fruit grows, it fills the mold, eventually taking on the cube shape. 
• Make sure that the fruit grows evenly and fills each corner of the box to make the perfect cube shape.
• Temperature and humidity also affect the cultivation of the fruit. If the conditions aren’t just right, the watermelon won’t grow evenly, and the fruit might not fit the mold correctly.  

As simple as it may sound, it does require careful monitoring to ensure the melon grows properly without cracking or becoming deformed. A small mistake can ruin your hard work and you leave you with a deformed square melon.

Additionally, the watermelon should be harvested before it fully ripens, which contributes to its inedibility. Due to this, the square watermelons have a longer shelf life because they aren’t harvested at peak ripeness. This makes them more suitable for decorative purposes.

Technically, you can do this with any shape if you have different molds. Heart-shaped watermelons are also sometimes seen, one of the many unique things only in Japan.

This intricate process of growing square watermelons adds to their overall appeal and, of course, their price tag. All this hard work for an expensive fruit hat is not edible? Hmm. 

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Cultural Significance Of Japanese Watermelons 

Watermelons, in general, hold cultural importance in Japan. They are often known as the symbol of summer, joy and refreshment. 

Moreover, traditional games like “suikawari” (watermelon splitting), where a blindfolded player tries to hit a watermelon with a stick is also culturally significant in Japan. 

Watermelons are also very common in gift-giving and religious offerings. Gifting culture is taken very seriously in Japan. However, Japanese square watermelons take the gifting culture to a new level, as they’ve become a symbol of luxury, creativity, and perfection. 

Japan loves exotic and expensive fruits, from crown melons to white strawberries, their fondness of luxurious fruits has been no secret. 

So these square watermelons that are positioned as a luxury gift item makes them perfect presents for special occasions. Gifting them shows a sign of respect and the extravagant price of these fruits is seen as proof of gratitude. 

They are displayed in high-end department stores, often encased in glass or luxury packaging with ribbons, emphasizing their ornamental value.

Why Are Square Watermelons So Expensive? 

The high price of Japanese square watermelons is due to several factors, including the intensive labor involved, strict quality control, the molds required for growing them, and the limited number produced each season. 

Growing these watermelons can be a challenging and time-consuming process as the watermelons must be closely monitored to ensure it grows perfectly square. Farmers from Zentsuji monitor each fruit at least 2-3 times everyday. Moreover, only a few farmers specialize in this method, and the demand far outweighs the supply, driving up prices.

Aesthetics also play a huge role in appraising the cost of these fruits. Farmers must make sure that no watermelon is scratched or bruised. It must be even with perfectly aligned vertical stripes making the fruit look symmetrical. 

Additionally, the fact that these watermelons are now considered a luxury gift also adds to their expensive reputation.

For those looking to buy them, the Japanese watermelon price can vary. On the lower end, they can cost around 15,000 yen (around $100 USD at the time of writing this article), but premium ones can fetch as much as 150,000 yen (around $1,000 USD at the time of writing this article), depending on the size, shape, and the overall perfection of the fruit.

You can buy Japanese square watermelons online as well, with global shipping options available for collectors and enthusiasts willing to pay the hefty shipping fees. 

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What Makes Japanese Square Watermelons So Popular? 

Japanese square watermelons have become incredibly popular not just in Japan but around the world, largely due to their novelty and uniqueness. Although only legal to produce in Zentsuji, many local farms in China have copied the unique shape and made an export business out of it. This has made the fruit’s availability outside Japan easier and made the fruit more popular. 

The right marketing strategy can make any product successful. Square watermelon is one such case. Although inedible, the scarcity, exclusivity and luxury element of it is no less than that of a Birkin bag. Well if diamonds can be a scam, so can a watermelon. 

The fruit has also gained popularity in pop culture with movies and advertisements often showing them as symbolic props. They were also featured in an episode of the Simpsons.

Their visual appeal, combined with the story of innovation and precise Japanese farming techniques, makes them all the more fascinating and popular. 

5 Fun Facts About The Japanese Square Watermelons

1. The nutritional value of Japanese watermelons is the same as your typical round watermelons. 
2. Only 200-400 square watermelons are produced every year. The failure rate of producing them is as high as 90%.
3. Despite their high price, square watermelons aren’t the most expensive watermelon in Japan. The Densuke watermelon, a rare black watermelon, holds that title.
4. A square watermelon comes with a ribbon along with a guide on how to decorate it. 
5. A difference between regular watermelons and Japanese square watermelons is their taste. As Japanese square watermelons are harvested before they are ripe, they are bland. 

Conclusion

Like many unique concepts of Japan, like renting a family, the Japanese square watermelons too are a fascinating innovation of culture, agriculture, and luxury. Like most unique Japanese innovations, these watermelons, despite being mostly ornamental, have captured the world’s attention for their appearance and precision. 

From their invention for practicality to their rise as a luxury status symbol, these watermelons are a true testament to Japanese innovation.

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