Japanese Watermelon Shipments Starts in Leading Production District in Kumamoto; Around 1.35 Mil. to Be Delivered Nationwide by July

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:18 JST, February 25, 2026

Workers check greenhouse-grown watermelons from the Ueki district in Kumamoto City’s Kita Ward at a fruit sorting facility on Tuesday, as shipments began for this year. The district is known as one of the major watermelon production areas in Japan.

On Tuesday, six local watermelon growers brought in about 2,500 watermelons, each weighing about 5 to 6 kilograms. Workers checked the fruits’ colors, sugar levels, signs of bruising and so on before packing into them into boxes. Like last year, 1.35 million Ueki-produced watermelons are expected to be shipped nationwide, mainly in the Kanto and Kansai regions, until early July, with peak shipping season to come in May.