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Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers - Food - Nairaland

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Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by bluespice(f): 9:20pm On Aug 30, 2009
Japan has again shown off one of its greatest innovations - square watermelons.
For years consumers struggled to fit the large round fruit in their refrigerators.
And then there was the problem of trying to cut the fruit when it kept rolling around.

But 20 years ago a forward-thinking farmer on Japan's south-western island of Shikoku solved the problem.

The farmer, from Zentsuji in Kagawa prefecture, came up with the idea of making a cube-shaped watermelon which could easily be packed and stored.

Fashion food

To make it happen, farmers grew the melons in glass boxes and the fruit then naturally assumed the same shape. Today the cuboid watermelons are hand-picked and shipped all over Japan.

But the fruit, on sale in a selection of department stores and upmarket supermarkets, appeals mainly to the wealthy and fashion-conscious of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two major cities.

Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon.

"I can't buy it, it is too expensive," said a woman browsing at a department store in the southern city of Takamatsu.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1390088.stm

Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Gracito(f): 10:17pm On Aug 30, 2009
Wow!! cheesy cheesy

1 Like

Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by oyinda3(f): 10:28pm On Aug 30, 2009
i read this a while ago but it still amazes me. lol
I love watermelonnnnnnn but the squares creep me out undecided maybe we'll all eventually get used to it when it moves across borders into this place from japan.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 10:31pm On Aug 30, 2009
these asians are innovative!
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by tpia5: 10:45pm On Aug 30, 2009
wow
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by MrCrackles(m): 11:24pm On Aug 30, 2009
I am not stunned. . .I saw an amoeba shaped orange the other day!
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 12:35am On Aug 31, 2009
rotflmao


@post
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww shocked shocked shocked
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 2:05pm On Aug 31, 2009
I fear Japan and their technology o! Make dem no worry, 9ja go do Triangular Banana! grin
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Akuviv: 2:31pm On Aug 31, 2009
See Asians with innovation ! Our farmers still dey struggle with crude implements,poor financing/subsidies, poor storage facilites to mention a few. Na where we see NEPA light to conduct reseach not to talk of storing Square water melon? cry These people are ahead of us by far! Very soon we go start to import them and our dear treasury looters will feed their offspring with it grin

Meanwhile we should channel our efforts towards making basic foods and fruits available to the masses. A small lump of watermelon goes for N300, what will the square melon and proposed 'triangular banana' grin grin cost ? GOD DEY wink
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by mayrho(m): 2:34pm On Aug 31, 2009
This is why there is development outside Nigeria.
When there is a problem outside naija sm1 sits down and looks 4 a solution and the problem is solved.
When there is problem in Naija we sit down and define the problem give all the names we can and still the problem is there.
May God Help us
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Emperoh(m): 3:45pm On Aug 31, 2009
Speechless!!
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 4:21pm On Aug 31, 2009
jassie:

I fear Japan and their technology o! Make dem no worry, 9ja go do Triangular Banana! grin
rtoflmao grin we'll get dia cheesy
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 4:22pm On Aug 31, 2009
LOL, why do you guyz always gotta compare everything to my beautiful mother, Nigeria?
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by vanitty: 10:53pm On Aug 31, 2009
$83 for ordinary melon. The shape irritate me slightly sef
Does it taste any different?!
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by nwatabia: 11:24pm On Aug 31, 2009
i wouldnt want to eat that. I'm a naturalist.

i could get it to beautify my future kitchen/living room.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by bluespice(f): 12:27am On Sep 01, 2009
i know. . . .
kewl shape but i cant spend that much on one fruit
sorry my passions dont extend that far
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by mamagee6(f): 12:31am On Sep 01, 2009
It looks good.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by davidif: 2:18am On Sep 01, 2009
See Asians with innovation ! Our farmers still dey struggle with crude implements,poor financing/subsidies, poor storage facilites to mention a few. Na where we see NEPA light to conduct reseach not to talk of storing Square water melon?   These people are ahead of us by far! Very soon we go start to import them and our dear treasury looters will feed their offspring  with it



ha ha ha ha, you  are so on point. See my thread https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-154714.0.html
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by platinumnk(f): 4:19am On Sep 01, 2009
they are always woe be to nigeria replies cry lol

@topic- thats sounds really cool! I grew a watermelons before, they grow pretty fast! Vines everywhere!
I wish i heard of this earlier, I would have tried to do it! oh well next summer then tongue
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Epi: 5:27am On Sep 01, 2009
bluespice:

"I can't buy it, it is too expensive," said a woman browsing at a department store in the southern city of Takamatsu.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1390088.stm
smart lady. if it looks like a melon and taste like a melonm then its a melon. why pay that amount because of the shape undecided
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by otukpo(f): 8:44am On Sep 01, 2009
wow, very interesting.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Czarskit(m): 11:01am On Sep 01, 2009
~| Oranges are spherical, Water melons are oval shaped just like papaya and the likes| What do these frog eyed dwarves tink they're doin?! |~
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by itoro1: 2:19pm On Sep 01, 2009
sCARy 2 ME, Looks like 1 of `em thangs from "FRINGE", ewwwew
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by JeSoul(f): 2:50pm On Sep 01, 2009
Truly innovative . . . but borderline freaky. Don't they have bottom compartments in their fridges for the round one?
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Seun(m): 3:52pm On Sep 01, 2009
JeSoul:

Truly innovative . . . but borderline freaky. Don't they have bottom compartments in their fridges for the round one?
The bottom compartments in most fridges are rectangular.
The square watermelons will take less space for the same weight.
Japan is a country where space is very expensive, that's the reason it works.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by spikedcylinder: 4:04pm On Sep 01, 2009
Still wrapping my mind around that shape. Darn expensive though. . . . but as they say, it is for the upper class.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by JeSoul(f): 7:58pm On Sep 01, 2009
Seun:

The bottom compartments in most fridges are rectangular.
The square watermelons will take less space for the same weight.
Japan is a country where space is very expensive, that's the reason it works.

but how much space does it truly save? couple extra inches? With their 1-2 kids per family, how many watermelons could they be buying at a time? no more than 1 or 2 right? I dunno if that's worth $83.

Next thing will be square Oranges and Pineapples undecided

. . . but the whole growing in glass cubes was ingenious though.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Seun(m): 5:28pm On Sep 02, 2009
With their 1-2 kids per family, how many watermelons could they be buying at a time? no more than 1 or 2 right?
I'm sure their grocery shops have limited space too.  You can sell more watermelons using less space if you stock the square fruit.  Also, the square watermelons will require less space to transport a given mass.  From the farm to the fridge, there are savings on every step.

Another possible advantage is that all the square watermelons will have the same size since the glass boxes used are the same size.  So when displayed in a store, they look very neat.  And they won't roll off the shelves.

but how much space does it truly save?
Let's do the math:
- Volume of a sphere 14cm in diameter: 1437.7cm2
- Volume of a cube 14cm in diameter: 2744.0cm2

In English:
A square watermelon contains twice the amount of fruit as a normal watermelon the same size. 
So instead of buying 2 round watermelons, you can buy 1 square watermelon of the same diameter.
Since it costs twice as much, you spend the same amount but it occupies less space in your fridge.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by JeSoul(f): 7:25pm On Sep 02, 2009
Seun:

I'm sure their grocery shops have limited space too.  You can sell more watermelons using less space if you stock the square fruit.  Also, the square watermelons will require less space to transport a given mass.  From the farm to the fridge, there are savings on every step.

Another possible advantage is that all the square watermelons will have the same size since the glass boxes used are the same size.  So when displayed in a store, they look very neat.  And they won't roll off the shelves.
  hmm. . . You're right. I didn't think of it from the angle of the farmers, transporters & grocers. . . the little inches would add up.


Let's do the math:
- Volume of a sphere 14cm in diameter: 1437.7cm2
- Volume of a cube 14cm in diameter: 2744.0cm2

In English:
A square watermelon contains twice the amount of fruit as a normal watermelon the same size. 
So instead of buying 2 round watermelons, you can buy 1 square watermelon of the same diameter.
Since it costs twice as much, you spend the same amount but it occupies less space in your fridge.
  A little question on this part.

Perhaps the square watermelon may be concentrated with more fruit per slice . . . to get down and practical, does this translate to the consumers subsequently cutting/consuming smaller slices at a time? or won't it just mean they stick with the regular portions and but end up eating more melon because now it is more concentrated? and won't they in essence be consuming the square melon at a faster rate than the round one?

Well I guess I would need to conduct tests on this watermelon . . .  smiley to see if indeed it is more filling than its traditional and possibly soon to be extinct round sibling.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by blacksta(m): 10:53pm On Sep 02, 2009
see jobless people calculating the volume of a ritualized square water melon.
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by platinumnk(f): 6:17pm On Sep 03, 2009
blacksta:

see jobless people calculating the volume of a ritualized square water melon.

LWKMD hahhahaaa grin
Re: Square Fruit Stuns Japanese Shoppers by Nobody: 6:21am On Sep 04, 2009
blacksta:

see jobless people calculating the volume of a ritualized square water melon. 
how the thing affect u? tongue grin

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