Shipments of Watermelons Reach Peak in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture; Refreshing Fruit Key to Beating Extreme Summer Heat

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:50 JST, July 22, 2024

Tens of thousands of watermelons fresh from the fields are seen in a sorting facility in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Monday. The Obanazawa brand of watermelon is a local specialty of the city, which is one of the nation’s largest producers of the fruit. Watermelons grown in the city and two of its neighbors are known for their high sugar level. A watermelon farmer in the city said, “I want people to overcome the extreme summer heat by eating our fresh watermelons.”