Monday, June 10, 2024
The first shipment of sunflower watermelons was made on Thursday, June 6th at the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch's agricultural product collection and shipping facility. The day after this, the first auction of Hokuryu Town's specialty, "sunflower watermelons," was held at 6:50 a.m. on Friday, June 7th at the Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction House of Kyokuichi Co., Ltd. in Asahikawa City.
- 1 First auction of "Sunflower Watermelon" at Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction
- 1.1 Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction
- 1.2 Hokuryu Town's specialty "Sunflower Watermelon"
- 1.3 Fruit tasting event held for the first time in five years
- 1.4 The middlemen's voices of "Delicious!" are heard everywhere!
- 1.5 Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
- 1.6 First auction of Hokuryu Town's specialty "Sunflower Watermelon"!
- 1.7 Breakfast and discussion meeting
- 2 YouTube videos
- 3 Other photos
- 4 Related articles
First auction of "Sunflower Watermelon" at Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction

Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction
Kyokuichi Fruit and Vegetable Auction is a place where seasonal fruits and vegetables are gathered from all over the country, including Hokkaido.
Hokuryu Town's specialty "Sunflower Watermelon"
In the center, a row of newly shipped sunflower watermelons are lined up.
"One case contains 5 excellent quality melons" - a magnificent Hokuryu sunflower melon!
Fruit tasting event held for the first time in five years
This year, fruit tasting took place for the first time in five years since the COVID-19 pandemic. As the "Sunflower Watermelons" were sliced with large knives and lined up, many buyers gathered one after another, drawn by the sweet aroma.
The middlemen's voices of "Delicious!" are heard everywhere!
Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
First, Mayor Sasaki will give a speech.
"Good morning. Thank you very much to everyone at Asahi Ichi who has been looking after our dining hall and kitchen in Hokkaido since this morning.
Today I came here with Watanabe Toshinari, a producer of Himawarisuka in Hokuryu Town.
The Sunflower Watermelon Producers Association is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. I have heard that this year's sunflower watermelons are especially sweet and wonderful.
"Please take care of Hokuryu Town, take care of Asahikawa, and please take care of the happy yellow 'Sunflower Watermelon'!" Mayor Sasaki declared with great confidence.
"Thank you for your continued support this year!!!" said Watanabe Toshinari.
First auction of Hokuryu Town's specialty "Sunflower Watermelon"!
Then the first auction begins, with the brokers' spirited shouts ringing out!
The bid was won in an instant! The congratulatory price was 50,000 yen (one box of 5 excellent balls)! Congratulations!
Breakfast and discussion meeting
After the first auction ended successfully, we moved to the office on the second floor for breakfast and a discussion session.
Spacious conference room.
A luxurious breakfast bento prepared in the conference room on the second floor!
There is so much delicious food on offer that you won't be able to eat it all, including fresh sashimi, meat side dishes, grilled fish, miso soup, salad, and more.
I am truly grateful for the fresh, seasonal vegetables, meat, and fish dishes that filled me with energy and power. Thank you for the meal!!!
We would like to express our gratitude to Kyokuichi Sansan Co., Ltd., which has brought together such a large selection of Hokkaido's most appealing ingredients...

With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we offer the Hokuryu Town "Sunflower Watermelon" that sparkles in the color of sunflowers and tastes of summer in Hokkaido, as it sets off from Asahikawa Market in the heart of Hokkaido to head out across the country...
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related articles
◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
