Square watermelons

Consumerism at it's most unattractive level. Watermelons that cannot be eaten at a super-expensive price.

Anyone trying to sell those in North America (or Europe) would be laughed right out of the room

Explain to me how an otherwise normal melon is worth $66.

Sounds like an abuse of watermelons.

Good grief!

A couple of years ago, I was in a supermarket where they had one of these on display. Everyone was looking at it in awe. I thought it was a great PR thing for the supermarket. That's the point of these things, I was told, by a stranger. "Nobody's going to buy them usually. Businesses use them to bring people to their stores." Good idea! I'm glad I was able to see one, and bought some stuff at that store.

Consumerism at it's most unattractive level. Watermelons that cannot be eaten at a super-expensive price.

Anyone trying to sell those in North America (or Europe) would be laughed right out of the room

No doubt. 10,000 for a watermellon?? Highway robbery!

"Explain to me how an otherwise normal melon is worth $66."

Sure...the same reason a colourless stone, carbon is worth upwards of hundreds of millions when cut and polished. Because there is a market for such things.

"Anyone trying to sell those in North America (or Europe) would be laughed right out of the room"

Likely by someone wearing a rock on their finger for which they paid thousands. Some American paid $12.6 million for a baseball card...lol

It’s worth every penny, I’m tired of fumbling with round fruit!

These types of exclusive fruits are most commonly used as gifts between business associates as a show of appreciation for their cooperation and affiliation. It's a cultural thing that most foreigners don't get. They symbolize the care and attention to detail that is a reflection of their business relationship. The average cost of a dozen roses in the US is about $80~$100. The roses are dead and thrown out in less than a week. Their value is in the symbolic gesture they are imbued with that the receiver understands as a show of love and care.

Expensive rubbish that can't be eaten. Just dumb.

It's a cultural thing that most foreigners don't get.

Thanks for your explanation, Geeter. It's great that some foreigners get it, eh?

"Thanks for your explanation, Geeter. It's great that some foreigners get it, eh?"

Clearly, most don't.

Square watermelons are a very recent event so the gift-giving tale is BS. They have been produced for about 45 years.

You might as well sell a well-wrapped empty gift box.

Their value is in the symbolic gesture they are imbued with that the receiver understands as a show of love and care.

As a matter of interest, Geeter, would you feel love and care if you got an inedible, cube watermelon?

Perhaps the box they were grown in could be made so that the watermelons came out like a big green dice, then at least they would have a practical use.

Geeter MckluskieToday 10:13 am JST

"Explain to me how an otherwise normal melon is worth $66."

Sure...the same reason a colourless stone, carbon is worth upwards of hundreds of millions when cut and polished. Because there is a market for such things.

"Anyone trying to sell those in North America (or Europe) would be laughed right out of the room"

Likely by someone wearing a rock on their finger for which they paid thousands. Some American paid $12.6 million for a baseball card...lol

Those things you mentioned are very rare, in some cases unique. Almost anybody can grow a watermelon in a box.

"Those things you mentioned are very rare, in some cases unique. Almost anybody can grow a watermelon in a box."

I suggest doing so... 300 cubic watermelons ￥10,000 a pop would bring in a tidy sum. That said, you side-stepped the salient point which was...there is a market for such things.

"As a matter of interest, Geeter, would you feel love and care if you got an inedible, cube watermelon?"

No, but I'd be thrilled to receive a dozen roses

They are grown in square glass jars.

Hahaha!! Paying that much for inedible food!! What a bunch of fools!! Hahaha!!

Geeter MckluskieToday  10:13 am JST

"Explain to me how an otherwise normal melon is worth $66."

Sure...the same reason a colourless stone, carbon is worth upwards of hundreds of millions when cut and polished. Because there is a market for such things.

"Anyone trying to sell those in North America (or Europe) would be laughed right out of the room"

Likely by someone wearing a rock on their finger for which they paid thousands. Some American paid $12.6 million for a baseball card...lol

That carbon stone and baseball card are investments. They can be resold and you regain your capital plus profit. You realize that you can't do that with a watermelon. LOL!

As for it being a business gesture with 'love' involved.....companies need to cut such useless and expensive expressions of 'love'.

You can buy a bigger one in the US for less than ¥1000…ridiculous price

"That carbon stone and baseball card are investments. They can be resold and you regain your capital plus profit. You realize that you can't do that with a watermelon. LOL!"

Maintaining a good business relationship with a client or a partner is also an investment.

"As for it being a business gesture with 'love' involved.....companies need to cut such useless and expensive expressions of 'love'."

I was referring to roses...

@wallace

I suggest the following article: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kevintang/inside-japans-most-insanely-expensive-fruit-parlor

Regarding your "gift giving tale is BS" contention. I suggest this article in which a luxury fruit retailer in Tokyo (which has been in operation since 1834) claims that 80~90% of their products are...and I quote directly from the horse's mouth "are bought as gifts as it's customary in Japan to give high-end fruits as presents for formal occasions like weddings, business transactions, and hospital visits."

Geeter MckluskieToday  03:07 pm JST

"That carbon stone and baseball card are investments. They can be resold and you regain your capital plus profit. You realize that you can't do that with a watermelon. LOL!"

Maintaining a good business relationship with a client or a partner is also an investment.

"As for it being a business gesture with 'love' involved.....companies need to cut such useless and expensive expressions of 'love'."

I was referring to roses...

You wrote that Japanese buying square watermelons that are inedible is the same as Westerners buying diamonds and baseball cards. Considering that those who buy square watermelons aren't doing it solely as corporate gifts, they can't be compared as diamonds and baseball cards have a resale value while watermelons don't.

Further, even when used as corporate gifts, they can't be looked as a pure investment as the receiving company may decide to not continue doing business regardless if they received a gift. Their decision to continue doing business or not is based on a myriad of factors with just one of them being maintaining good relations.

"You wrote that Japanese buying square watermelons that are inedible is the same as Westerners buying diamonds and baseball cards.W

No, I did not write that. I used diamonds and baseball cards as examples of things which have an artificially inflated value. That's not quite the same as buying A for B. The buying of such fruit is for the purpose of "giving" the fruit as a symbol of care.

"they can't be looked as a pure investment"...Such gifts are still "an investment" in terms of maintaining a good business relationship.

"Their decision to continue doing business or not is based on a myriad of factors with just one of them being maintaining good relations."

Yes...indeed...one of them being "maintaining good relations"

Why even bother wearing a mask if you can't wear it properly.

OK, a cubic watermelon is amazing, but how many of them can they sell at 10,000 yen each?

Stupidly expensive food products that can’t be eaten. Our species is doomed.

Great that someone has got the idea "boxed off" lol.

Geeter MckluskieToday  05:32 pm JST

"You wrote that Japanese buying square watermelons that are inedible is the same as Westerners buying diamonds and baseball cards.W

*No, I did not write that. I used diamonds and baseball cards as examples of things which have an artificially inflated value.** That's not quite the same as buying A for B. The buying of such fruit is for the purpose of "giving" the fruit as a symbol of care.*

"they can't be looked as a pure investment"...Such gifts are still "an investment" in terms of maintaining a good business relationship.

"Their decision to continue doing business or not is based on a myriad of factors with just one of them being maintaining good relations."

Yes...indeed...one of them being "maintaining good relations"

You're comparing apples to oranges. Whether high or not, diamonds and collector baseball cards have a tangible value that is not artificial. You can sell them and recoup their value after a variable amount of time. These watermelons are not only perishable but inedible. They don't even have value as food. Even as a gift, they have no true actual value because they're not a guaranteed investment. They're hit or miss if they play any role in continuing to do business or not. They're value is completely artificial. But go ahead and continue to have an obtuse and ignorant take.

Comparing melons with rare diamonds is taking the pip.

"Comparing melons with rare diamonds is taking the pip."

OK...Wallace. How about roses? That die and are thrown out in less than a week...roses that cost the same as the melons in the article.

Geeter Mckluskie

"Comparing melons with rare diamonds is taking the pip."

> OK...Wallace. How about roses? That die and are thrown out in less than a week...roses that cost the same as the melons in the article.

I have never paid ¥10,000 for roses but I'll take the roses over the melon and my roses last 2-3 weeks.

The average cost of a dozen roses in the US is about $80~$100. 

No it is not...buy them at Costco or a grocery store.

"No it is not...buy them at Costco or a grocery store."

I think you misunderstand the concept of "average"

"I have never paid ¥10,000 for roses but I'll take the roses over the melon and my roses last 2-3 weeks."

It's not about you, Wallace.

Google the average cost of roses in the US. Never mind, I did...It's $80. What is the dollar/yen exchange rate?

It's currently 144.48 yen per 1 dollar.

Geeter Mckluskie

"I have never paid ¥10,000 for roses but I'll take the roses over the melon and my roses last 2-3 weeks."

> It's not about you, Wallace.

> Google the average cost of roses in the US. Never mind, I did...It's $80. What is the dollar/yen exchange rate?

> It's currently 144.48 yen per 1 dollar.

You asked me a question, which I answered. You made it about me.

"OK...Wallace. How about roses? That die and are thrown out in less than a week...roses that cost the same as the melons in the article."

Certainly, nothing to do with the price of roses in the US.