This is the Nanamitsuki quality of Hokkaido
One hundred thousand yen, equivalent to approximately 565 euros, for a box of seven apples. It is the record price sold today in Hakodate, on the northern island of Hokkaido, at the first seasonal auction of the most prized fruit in Japan: a price identical to that which, a year ago, had crowned the most expensive lot.
In the wholesale market hall, among the excited voices of the buyers, the Nanamitsuki, with yellow skin streaked with red, were competing for the fruits. They come from the town of Nanae, which according to tradition was the first place in the country to grow Western-style apples. Compared to 2025, explains the Shinhakodate agricultural cooperative, this year’s production is more generous in size and less marked by dents. Twelve months ago, however, typhoons damaged a large part of the harvest.
Nanamitsuki belongs to the Gunma meigetsu variety, and according to experts only fruits that exceed certain standards of sweetness and size receive the premium label.
The winning bid was made by a fruit and vegetable wholesaler from Hakodate. “They have a heart of honey and are delicious.
If you find them in the shop, don’t miss them”, Yuji Sotozaki, 46 years old, representative of the company, told the local press. In Japan the inaugural auctions are a consolidated ritual, in which elite products often reach very high prices. Fruit, in fact, is not at home on everyday tables, and is often reserved for valuable gifts or special occasions. For buyers who participate in the auctions, the price paid is above all an image investment: a promotional showcase that transforms fruit in a quality business card.
