Overview
- At Tokyo’s Ota wholesale market, a box sold for ¥1.8 million, topping the ¥1.55 million paid for a 68-berry box at the Tendo market, with both prices setting new records.
- The per-berry price exceeded ¥26,000 for the Tendo lot, underscoring the intense demand for ultra-early fruit.
- Auctions took place on January 5 at roughly 20 markets nationwide following the initial shipment from Yamagata.
- Growers in Tendo harvested the cherries on January 4 after storing about 220 potted trees in cold rooms from late May to early October and then forcing bloom and fruiting in a greenhouse.
- This season’s output is expected to be about 70 kilograms, with fruit sorted by size and color into paulownia boxes, and veteran cultivator Kazuo Hanawa noting difficult moisture and temperature control this year.