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Square watermelon shipments begin in Western Japan city

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Kyodo News

<p>A shop assistant holds a square watermelon in Matsuya Department store in Asakusa, Tokyo on Saturday, 14 June 2003. Each fruit is priced at about 10,000 yen. EPA-PHOTO</p><p>A western Japan city known for its ornamental square watermelons began this year&#x27;s shipments on Monday, with each fruit priced at about 10,000 yen ($70).</p><p>A total of eight growers plan to deliver around 300 cubic watermelons from Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture through mid-July. Harvested while still unripe, the melons are not suitable for eating and are generally purchased as ornaments.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/04/19/japan-city-ships-square-watermelons">Japan city ships square watermelons</a></li></ul><p>The city began production about 50 years ago in an attempt to raise its profile, with the watermelons shaped into about 18-centimeter cubes by being grown in a square container once they reach a certain size.</p><p>The number of square watermelon farmers had been in decline in recent years, but three new young growers appeared this year.</p><p>Keitaro Sugimoto, one of them, quit his job as a sheet metal worker to become a square watermelon farmer.</p><p>&quot;I would like to improve my skills as a farmer next year so that square watermelons will still be available in the future,&quot; the 34-year-old said.</p><p>==Kyodo</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3C1eG7kM1yY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

A western Japan city known for its ornamental square watermelons began this year's shipments on Monday, with each fruit priced at about 10,000 yen ($70).