Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話 ニュースディスカッション教材
Japanese fruit is famous for its quality, and this one is big, red, shiny and heart-shaped and
delicious.
Would you buy one of these cherries?
Cherry brand Juno Heart had its first auction of the season at the central wholesale market in
Hachinohe,
Aomori Prefecture, on June 25. Known for its big, sweet heart-shaped fruit, the top brand of “Aomori
Heartbeat” fetched a record ¥600,000 JPY ($4,440 USD) for a box of 15 cherries.
People wowed and applauded when the
bidding reached the top price of ¥600,000 JPY for one box. So
how much does each cherry cost? A single cherry from the box is worth ¥40,000 JPY ($295 USD), outpacing
the previous record price reached in 2021. Who would pay that price? Nagatsuka Seika, a wholesale fruit
and vegetable distributor in Chiba City, won the bid for the third consecutive year.
Juno Heart was originally developed by Aomori Prefecture, and the name was chosen partly from the
Roman goddess of marriage, Juno, and partly from the fruit’s pretty heart shape.
“The good quality comes from the temperature difference caused by the yamase,” the cold Pacific wind
that blows in the summer in the Northeast region where they are grown, said Hideki Todome. He should
know. He is the director in charge of
cherries at the Japan Agricultural Cooperative Hachinohe in the
town of Nambu.
“I want people all over the country to
enjoy it,” he added, smiling
ハート形の甘く大きな果実が特徴のサクランボ「ジュノハート」の初競りが２５日、青森県八戸市の市中央卸売市場で行われ、上級ブ
ランド「青森ハートビート」１５粒入り１箱に６０万円の過去最高値が付いた。
昨年の最高値を超えると、会場ではどよめきが起こり、一粒４万円にもなる６０万円の値が決まると、「すごい」という声と大きな拍手に
包まれた。３年連続で長塚青果（千葉市）が落札した。
ジュノハートは青森県が独自に開発。ＪＡ八戸さくらんぼ専門部長の留目秀樹さん（５９）＝南部町＝は「やませによる寒暖差の影響
から、良い品質になっている。全国の人に楽しんでほしい」と笑顔を見せた。