Harvesting of the orange watermelon "Summer Orange" has begun in Obira Town, Hokkaido.
Summer orange is a rare watermelon whose flesh is orange and is cultivated on the Sea of Japan side in Hokkaido.
Mr. Takeshi Kato, a farmer in Obira Town, has grown steadily in his agricultural house, and the harvest has started this week.
Mr. Kato harvested the stems by cutting them with scissors while checking the growth of each ball.
Summer oranges are popular because they have a high sugar content and few seeds, and locally, the highest-ranked oranges with a diameter of about 30 cm are sold for about 5,000 yen per ball.
Mr. Kato said, "We are blessed with good weather and growing well. I want many people to eat it."
The harvest of summer oranges will continue until the middle of next month, and about 2000 balls will be shipped to local supermarkets and roadside stations.