First of all, what exactly is a 'Yubari Melon'!?

The 'Yubari Melon' is a well-known specialty of Yubari City. It's such a high-end brand of melon that almost everyone has heard of it, but perhaps not many people know the details about it.

What is sold as a Yubari Melon is a variety called 'Yubari King.' As the name suggests, it is cultivated exclusively in Yubari City, Hokkaido.

A standard has been set to harvest a maximum of four melons from a single plant. These melons are cultivated with great care so that all the nutrients are concentrated in those selected fruits.
Among the carefully grown melons, only the very best that pass a strict inspection conducted by the producers themselves are delivered to us, the consumers, as 'Yubari Melons.'

We spoke with Kengo Ota, a producer who has been growing Yubari Melons since his grandfather's generation.

Photo courtesy of Kengo Ota

'Yubari Melons' are grown by the hands of 102 producers in Yubari City

Here in Yubari, there are 102 farmers producing Yubari Melons (as of 2021). On average, each farmer cultivates 6,000 melon plants.

If left alone, a melon plant would produce many fruits, but for Yubari Melons, a standard of 'a maximum of 4 melons per plant' is set to pursue the best possible flavor.

Mr. Ota says that the reason Yubari Melons have been able to build such a strong brand is due to the producers' relentless pursuit of 'taste.'

"Yubari Melons are a very difficult crop to grow, and the inspection standards are strict. All of this is to ensure that consumers can enjoy them at their most delicious. If the customer eats it and says, 'This is delicious!', then we're satisfied! I think all the farmers in Yubari feel the same way."

The Making of a 'Yubari Melon'

For the 60 years since its creation, producers have relentlessly pursued the 'taste' of the Yubari Melon.
It is said to be very difficult to cultivate, but how exactly is it grown and delivered to consumers?

Here is a simple diagram of the cultivation process.

First is 'sowing the seeds.' In Mr. Ota's case, he sows seeds in small batches over a period of three months, from mid-February to mid-May.
By planting at staggered times, he can ensure a stable shipment for three months and distribute the workload.

After various tasks following germination, the seedlings are ready in a month. The Yubari style is to perform the 'planting' work about a month after sowing the seeds.

After planting comes an unfamiliar task called 'tekishin' (pinching or pruning).

"Melons are a crop whose vines grow in all directions if left alone. 'Tekishin' is the process of breaking off unnecessary vines and removing leaves to guide the melon towards the ideal form the farmer is aiming for. It's such a crucial task that it's no exaggeration to say it's 'everything in melon cultivation.'"

This 'tekishin' process is performed a total of three times: one week after planting, two weeks after, and once more before three weeks have passed...! It seems like a tough job for just one plant, but Mr. Ota cultivates a total of 10,000 plants, so the difficulty of this work is beyond imagination.

After the three rounds of pinching, about a month after planting, comes the 'pollination' work, which is essential for the melon to bear fruit. In Yubari, this is done through 'natural pollination,' where bees assist in the process.

Just before and during the introduction of the bees, 'pinching' is performed twice more. The pinching at this stage is the most difficult and is said to greatly affect the quality of the melons.

"It's called 'chakka-shin-tsumi' (fruit-setting pinch), and it's a very difficult task where you decide which vines should bear the future melons and prune them to concentrate nutrients there. If you fail here, it could lead to a total loss. It's no exaggeration to say that all the preparations since early spring are decided at this point."

After successfully completing this task and finishing pollination, the next step is 'tekika' (fruit thinning). Here, the fruits to be grown into melons are chosen, and the others are removed.

"At the stage when they are just a little bigger than the tip of your thumb, you can already tell what the future melon will look like. That's when you make the final decision, 'I'm going with these four this year.' The process of removing the other fruits is fruit thinning. At the same time, we also place a mat under the chosen melons."

From there, they perform 'hibai kanri' (cultivation management). This is the management to grow the melons large and delicious. The tasks from this point on vary depending on the situation and the person, including temperature and water management, and additional pinching work.

"From here on, we mobilize all of the farmer's experience, knowledge, and skills. It's where we really show our abilities. There are 102 producers, but I don't think any two of them do the exact same work."
After accurately performing many steps where no mistakes are allowed, the melons are finally harvested about 105 days after sowing.
Melons sown in mid-February reach harvest time from early to mid-June. This is how the Yubari Melon, with its uncompromising focus on 'taste,' is made.

The work doesn't end here.
The harvested melons are packed into boxes at each farm, and 'inspectors,' chosen as representatives of the producers, inspect each one by hand against strict standards. Only the chosen melons that pass this rigorous inspection are delivered to consumers as 'Yubari Melons.'

The characteristics of Yubari Melons are their soft flesh, sweetness, and rich aroma. Since the period from harvest to peak ripeness is short, only 3-4 days, inspection and shipping are done quickly. Knowing that we can enjoy them in their most delicious state thanks to the producers and everyone at JA Yubari City is truly heartwarming.

'Yubari Melons' are a very precious fruit whose 'deliciousness' is created by the 'hands' of the producers, from cultivation to harvest and inspection. Once you know the background of their cultivation, you can understand why they are expensive, and it makes you want to eat them with immense gratitude to the producers.

I want to make next year's melons even more delicious than this year's! Mr. Ota's Passion

Mr. Ota describes the very difficult cultivation of Yubari Melons as 'interesting precisely because it's difficult.'
We asked Mr. Ota, who continues to grow Yubari Melons in the land of Yubari with an uncompromising commitment to 'taste,' about his future prospects.

"I always have the desire to make next year's melons even more delicious than this year's. If I can make melons that are even slightly tastier than my past self could, I consider that growth.
And, as a production area, I want to ensure that Yubari Melons do not disappear. That said, I absolutely do not want to simply increase the quantity and lower the quality. I also feel a responsibility to carry on the brand that my grandfather, my father, and the surrounding farmers have built.
The reason Yubari Melons have become such an established brand has nothing to do with their good shape or cultivation system; it's simply because the 'taste' was good. Therefore, I want to prioritize not compromising the taste above all else. I want to further improve the flavor and create something that won't betray the customers' expectations."

Why not try tasting a Yubari Melon, filled with such passionate dedication, right here in Yubari next summer!