In Japan, two Yubari melons sell for 1 million yen (or $7,000)

A pair of Yubari melons, the so-called king of Hokkaido's summer fruit, were purchased for 1 million yen in this year's first auction at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo on Monday.

This marked a 2 million yen drop from last year.

The winning bid was made by a company that sells agricultural products and seafood based in Otaru, Hokkaido. The pair of melons, which were grown in the Hokkaido city of Yubari, will be displayed at a shop in Otaru until they fully ripen. They will then be cut up and sold around the end of this week.

"Yubari melons really melt in the mouth, and they have a lingering aroma,” a senior official at the company said. "I expect both tourists and locals to enjoy them.”