Business · Companies · 57 mins ago
How Japanese growers produce prized luxury melons
Daiki Kimpara grows Crown Melons in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, where each plant is allowed to produce just one melon.
Growers select one of three flowers to pollinate and remove the others so the plant can direct its nutrients to that fruit.
The work begins with caring for the plant and its roots, while deciding how much water to give it depends on the plant and the weather.
Crown Melon techniques have been refined for more than a century, with cultivation dating back to 1921.
Each melon carries a grower number, and buyers can pay different prices for melons of the same grade and weight depending on who grew them.
The rare Fuji grade is the highest, but Kimpara says it cannot simply be produced on demand.
At Tokyo retailer Sembikiya Sohonten, premium melons can cost more than 20,000 yen each, and fruit is inspected at several stages before sale.
Daiki Kimpara grows Crown Melons in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, using a method that directs each plant’s nutrients to one fruit.
He says careful attention to the plant’s roots from the beginning is essential to producing a good melon.
Growers choose one of three flowers for pollination and remove the other two.
Deciding how much water to give each plant depends on its condition and the weather, Kimpara says.
Crown Melons are graded, with the rare Fuji label the highest grade.
- Who
- Daiki Kimpara, a third-generation Crown Melon grower, produces the melons.
- What
- He cultivates Crown Melons, directing each plant’s nutrients to one fruit.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Kimpara focuses on developing the plant, particularly its roots.
Three flowers are chosen for pollination, but only the best one is allowed to grow.
- Grower
- Daiki Kimpara
- Location
- Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture
- Producer number
- 727
- Melon variety
- Crown Melon, a branded muskmelon from Shizuoka Prefecture
- Highest grade
- Fuji
What people are saying
No matter how hard you work later, you can't produce a good melon if you haven't properly developed the plant from the beginning.
When deciding how much water to give a plant, it comes down to a gut feeling. And that differs from grower to grower.