Ever had the problem of a watermelon not fitting in your fridge due to its awkward round shape? I bet the tupperwares had many a discussion about the bulging mass of green taking up their precious refrigeration space. Sprigs of celery and coriander stuffed along the sides of the melon, much to their dismay. What about those times when you did your weekly grocery shopping and had a watermelon chucked in the back of the boot – only to find moments later as you accelerate and turn corners you get distracted by the rumbling, tumbling racket going on in the back of your car?

The crazy Japanese have come up with yet another brilliant – albeit expensive – solution. To solve all the above problems, the square watermelon was born. For watermelon farmers, this means easy packing for shipping purposes. How clever. These watermelons are grown in square glass containers from the vine, and as they grow they mould themselves into the square shape of the container. However, the square watermelon would probably only appeal to the hip and upmarket class of Japan as they aren’t cheap – starting from around $50 up to a whopping $160!

I was walking along a street in Hiroshima when I saw these watermelons displayed at a fruit shop. Over the years, I had heard stories about these watermelons but they always sounded like a silly but cute urban myth – until I saw them with my own eyes. What shocked me wasn’t the fact that I had actually seen square watermelons, but how much they cost!