Episode 9: Cubic watermelons

It's the season for mangoes, peaches and... square watermelons?

Three Kyodo News journalists – Yamaguchi-san, Toma and Tamura-san – talk about a western Japanese city that is famous for its ornamental cubic watermelons that cost about 10,000 yen each. Learn about Japan's "first auctions" for premium produce and which fruits are prized in the country.

Article mentioned in the podcast:

Square watermelon shipments begin in western Japan city

Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.

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A worker prepares for the season's first shipments of cube-shaped watermelons in Zentsuji in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on July 3, 2023. The ornamental watermelons, grown in square plastic containers, carry a wholesale price of around 10,000 yen ($69) each. (Kyodo)