Pair of melons sell for US$29,300 at auction.

A pair of premium melons have sold for 3.2m yen (US$29,300) at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in northern Hokkaido in Japan, breaking previous records.

Melons and other seasonal fruit are regarded as status symbols in Japan and commonly sell for huge sums. Even commonplace fruit such as apples cost upwards of US$3.

The pair of Yubari melons were purchased by a local fruit packing firm. “I wanted to make a record-setting bid by all means,” said winning bidder Shinya Noda, the company’s president.

According to reports, the melons will be on display for a month before being cut up and given to the packaging company’s customers free of charge.