Pair of high-end persimmons fetch Y540,000 at season's 1st auction

It's just an advertising gimmick, so when they see that brand in stores they'll grab them so they can brag to their friends.

Never fails to amaze me that someone is willing to pay that much cash for something that will eventually end up ...well you know.

It's things like this that just reinforce the image that Japanese products are superior in quality, whether that truly be the case or not.

Santa Claus bought them.

Excellent opportunity. I envy the savy invester who nabs this deal. It is no longer a secret that the fruit-heavy portfolio is the metier of the wise investor who prizes both qucik returns and sound, long-term growth. All the Johnny-come-lately types niggle over the cubic watermelon market, but it is those ahead of the curve that pour then funds into the golden kaki parachute. Yum.

Does anywhere else in the World do something similar to this ?

After living here for awhile I feel like there may be melons worth 500,000, but certainly no persimonns are worth that lol!

5000 dollars for fruit... Where are the alien overlords when you need them?

Abenomocs baby!

I've never understood this aspect of Japan. Prolly never will....

Omoshiroi ne

Spent that much money just so they could say "I spent that much money" without realizing you can get them for free, or next to nothing. And you know what? I guarantee those $2500 (each) persimmons are no more delicious than the free one I ate just this very minute. I'll even twist my face up to the sky, pause, and say "Umai" if it'll drive home the fact.

It's their money, and their choice, ultimately, but I wish they would think of how far such money could have gone towards charity, or people who just lost their homes, or families of those who lost lives, in disasters and/or accidents. Such a wasteful society sometimes.

My coworker gives me a bag of these every year picked from the tree in his garden.

I wouldn’t buy them from the supermarket.

Every year I get at least 3 bags of persimmon from people trying to get rid of them from their yard. Actually I love dried persimmon but can't admit that in public because people say only old fogies eat dried persimmon lol

I think it is ridiculous and also insulting in the respect of all those people around the world and also in Japan, who have not enough money to eat fruits or even normal food on a daily basis. One of the various aberrations of this country.

smithinjapan: It's their money, and their choice, ultimately, but I wish they would think of how far such money could have gone towards charity, or people who just lost their homes, or families of those who lost lives, in disasters and/or accidents. Such a wasteful society sometimes.

In all fairness, hoe do you know they have not already donated to charities that help those in need in those situations. I know this will be unpopular here on JT, but many of the wealthy here in Japan donate large sums for any disaster they see a need. I had many Japanese folk ask me where they could donate to the hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and where they could donate to the floods in Australia, the famine in Africa and so forth.

I grow tired of the continual virtue signalling of "They could have used that money ..." as if they KNOW FOR SURE they have done nothing charitable with their money ever or at all. In the end I think it is envy of what others have compared to what they don't.

Sure we have children we cant feed in this country but on the other hand we have ridiculous auctions that sell Persimons and melons for disgustingly high prices.

If people pay this kind of money for these two fruit, something is wrong! How many people are drawing Welfare n Japan now?

I'm still trying to grasp what a 'high end persimmon' actually is.....

@Roger Jolly

@papagiulio

@canadianbento

Relax. You're misunderstanding the situation.

Essentially, the ridiculously high price serves as advertising. This is not a case of some persimmon collector who would otherwise have donated the money to charity. The pricing serves a purpose.

Does anywhere else in the World do something similar to this ?

Well ppl cough up thousands of dollars for us football, soccer, boxing, mma etc tix pretty much every week while other pay big bucks for wine, meat, shoes, make up, flowers etc or blow their wages at the pokies, casino, racecourse etc in one night.

Silly money is a very subjective concept. Good post kyushubill, totally agree.

Thank you for the 40,000 yen consumption tax.

A complete waste of money!! It is fruit for gods sake!!

It’s marketing nothing more and for Chinese tourists with a lot of money to burn, they are the ones particularly buying these fruits and are proud of that and proud to flaunt their wealth in the process. A few years ago I tasted a melon that costed around ￥50,000 and to be honest, tasted like a regular melon to me, but the person also told me that the tongue of a westerner isn’t as sensitive to taste as a Japanese persons is, we just can’t taste the minor subtleties in food or fruit.

As if I believe that.

I won't be surprised that the person who paid for the persimmons is so thrifty with his money when it comes to paying workers.

Nice pair

@Canadianbento, not all receiving welfare are deserving. And because that is bought thru auction and there are some people who derive their brand of happiness flaunting to the rest that they can afford such commodity. People in auction sites are the ones pushing the prices up. I just think they're not just buying the persimmon but the end product of a successful research thus giving thrust to more and more research and better products.

It's what you call CULTURE! :)

Ick. Why would anyone want ones that are 25% sugar?Even the regular ones are too sweet. Bland and sweet. That's how I describe persimmons to people who've never tasted them. There's a reason you've never heard of persimmon juice, persimmon sauce, persimmon flavoured anything. Blah.

Have you ever really eaten a persimmon ? If you have you would try to sell them to unsuspecting tourists rather than endure the strange mouthy feeling you get!

People just don't get it. From an invesment perspective this is genius. Sure, if you want to shift the fruit right now you are going to lose money and weep a few years down the road when these kaki will really yield some serious returns. The key is to sit on the fruit for five years minimum before really realizing the benefits of investing heavily in produce. If you picked up five sets of these bedeviling kaki right now and flipped them six years from now, you would be looking at a retirement-level event. Think long-term, please! If only I had the dough...

There's a reason you've never heard of persimmon juice, persimmon sauce, persimmon flavoured anything. Blah.

Actually the persimmon-flavoured yokan I had once was pretty good. I think it was made in the Gifu area, they don't have it round here.

"Crisp", not "crispy".

Japanese persimmons are the worst fruit I've ever eaten. I wouldn't pay even 5 yen for a whole box. Very silly.

Overpaying for a couple of bits of fruit - sounds like the start of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Any who would denigrate the kaki can suck asparagus and stuff thistles in their nose. These are the fruit of the gods, worthy of respect and a bargain at twice the price. Sic semper fruit haters.

My grandmother used to make some tasty persimmon cookies. Never seen any in Japan. I'm sure they'd have half the sugar and butter and taste more like a biscuit. Strange the only thing in Japan that's accepted to be sweet is bean paste.

Japanese persimmons are the worst fruit I've ever eaten. I wouldn't pay even 5 yen for a whole box. Very silly.

For me, they don't have enough taste to make me like or dislike them. I get a free bag once a year, slice them up, and dip them in yoghurt. Keeps you regular and all that. Figs are the kings in that realm but they cost a fortune in the supermarket.

but the person also told me that the tongue of a westerner isn’t as sensitive to taste as a Japanese persons is, we just can’t taste the minor subtleties in food or fruit. lol had a J doctor state to me once that Japanese babies have a stronger immune system because they have a full head of hair when their born , unlike many western babies because many are bald. My reply was well middle eastern and southern European babies must be immune to all diseases have you seen how much hair they have when there born. He gave me a blank reply. LOL

It's what you call CULTURE! dude dont know if your being serious or sarcastic? Sarcastic, then good one!, Serious, well show me in the last 500yrs where its accepted that you have to pay ridiculous prices for fruit, other than in famine times!?

All this publicity! Covered by US media as well. Cheaper than media buys on prime time TV. Brilliant strategy, if so conceived. Next year, expect something over the top.

540k for 2 kaki? This article should be in the "Crime" section!