A pair of Japan's famous Yubari melons fetched 800,000 yen, the highest price on record, as the first bidding of the season got under way Wednesday at Sapporo's main wholesale market, JA Yubarishi, a local agricultural cooperative in Yubari, Hokkaido, said.

To access full stories on Kyodo News English website, it is necessary to subscribe. Please contact Kyodo's International Department in Tokyo via e-mail at kokusai@kyodonews.jp or call 03-6252-8301. If you are outside Japan, please contact Kyodo News International in New York at kni@kyodonews.com or call +1-212-508-5440. Currently we offer subscriptions to only corporate clients such as newspapers, magazines, trade publications, research institutes, government and international organizations.