The most expensive food product in Japan is bluefin tuna, and the record is a single 243 kg fish that sold for ¥510 million (about $3.2 million) at Tokyo’s Toyosu market on 5 January 2026. That is the headline. This list is about what the same foods cost when you meet them in a department store food hall, a fruit shop or a restaurant, next to the record they once set at auction. Prices are as of October 2026 and converted at roughly ¥159 to the dollar.
| Rank | Product | Record price | Everyday high-end price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluefin tuna (toro) | ¥510 million per fish (2026) | No Japanese shelf price verified |
| 2 | Yubari King melons | ¥5.8 million per pair (2026) | ¥4,000 to ¥20,000+ per melon |
| 3 | Ruby Roman grapes | ¥1 million per bunch (2026) | From about ¥25,000 per bunch (older report) |
| 4 | Densuke watermelon | ¥700,000 (2025) | ¥5,000 to ¥30,000 (guides) |
| 5 | Matsutake mushrooms | No record verified | ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 per 100 g |
| 6 | Fugu (pufferfish) | None | ¥24,200 to ¥60,500 per person |
| 7 | Square watermelon | None | ¥10,000 to ¥21,600 |
| 8 | Kobe beef | None | ¥3,850 to ¥9,350 per 100 g (restaurants) |
| 9 | A5 wagyu (trade price) | None | ¥13,000 to ¥25,000 per kg wholesale |
| 10 | “Adult” milk | None | ¥5,000 per bottle (launch price) |
1. Bluefin tuna (toro): ¥510 million at auction
Toro is the fatty belly of the bluefin. The record fish was caught off Oma, at the northern tip of Honshu, and bought by Kiyomura Corp., the company behind the Sushi Zanmai chain, beating its own 2019 record of about ¥334 million. It works out at about ¥2.1 million per kilogram. We did not find a verified Japanese shelf price for a block of toro, so the everyday column stays empty rather than guessed. The number comes from the reported auction result.
2. Yubari King melons: ¥5.8 million per pair
The ceremonial first auction at the Sapporo wholesale market on 22 May 2026 broke the record for the fruit, which had stood at ¥5 million since 2019. In shops the picture is different: a single melon is typically ¥4,000 to ¥6,000 at fruit specialists, department stores often ask ¥15,000 or more, and top-grade round fruit goes past ¥20,000. These shelf numbers come from articles of different dates, so treat them as a range.
3. Ruby Roman grapes: ¥1 million per bunch
On 17 July 2026 a bunch of 33 grapes weighing about a kilogram sold for ¥1 million at the first auction in Kanazawa. Shop pricing has been reported from about ¥25,000 per bunch in an older article, and a single grape can cost ¥2,000 or more. Each grape is about the size of a ping-pong ball, graded for size and sugar before it carries the name. We could not find a current shop price list, so the everyday figure is dated.
4. Densuke watermelon: ¥700,000
The black-skinned Densuke is grown at Toma in Hokkaido, and the top bid at the first auction on 20 June 2025 was ¥700,000. Guides quote shop prices from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 up to ¥30,000 in department stores, which is a wide spread. Records are reported at ¥650,000 in 2008 and ¥750,000 in 2019 depending on the source.
5. Matsutake: ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 per 100 grams
The pine mushroom is a seasonal autumn product. Domestic production has dropped to a few dozen tons a year, and most of what Japan eats is imported from China, Korea or North America at much lower prices. A domestic mushroom therefore costs ¥50,000 to ¥100,000 per kilogram. That is the most expensive item here that you can put in a shopping basket.
6. Fugu: ¥24,200 to ¥60,500 per person
Standard courses at a leading Shimonoseki restaurant run from ¥24,200 to ¥35,200, and the wild-caught course there is ¥60,500. In Tokyo, one specialist raised fugu prices in October 2025, blaming smaller wild catches, with courses now around ¥35,200 to ¥52,000. Chain restaurants serve cheaper set meals. A licensed chef must prepare it, because the fish is poisonous if cut wrongly.
7. Square watermelon: ¥10,000 to ¥21,600
Grown in cube-shaped boxes in Zentsuji, Kagawa, so that it fits a fridge shelf. Shipments for 2026 began on 30 June, with about 400 expected through mid-July at roughly ¥10,000 wholesale each. A high-end Tokyo shop asked ¥21,600. They are picked unripe to keep the shape, so people buy them as ornaments.
8. Kobe beef: ¥3,850 to ¥9,350 per 100 grams
A lean 110 g steak in Kobe is listed at ¥4,235 (about ¥3,850 per 100 g), while a Tokyo restaurant lists lean Kobe at ¥9,350 per 100 g at lunch. These are menu prices, not butcher prices. A full dinner can run to several times that.
9. A5 wagyu, trade price: ¥13,000 to ¥25,000 per kg
A trade guide quotes A5 striploin from Japan at roughly ¥13,000 to ¥25,000 per kilogram wholesale, or about $120 to $190 free on board. Retail runs higher, and we did not find a verified current department-store figure, so this one is the trade price.
10. “Adult” milk: ¥5,000 per bottle
Nakazawa Foods, a Hokkaido dairy, launched a milk taken at dawn and sold to stressed adults for ¥5,000 a bottle. Western coverage turned that into about $40 a quart. It is the oldest figure on the list, a launch price from earlier reports.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
- January 2026: the ¥510 million bluefin tuna at Toyosu, a record.
- May 2026: Yubari King melons at ¥5.8 million for a pair, a record.
- July 2026: Ruby Roman grapes at ¥1 million a bunch.
- June 2025: Densuke watermelon at ¥700,000.
- October 2025: a Tokyo fugu specialist raised prices.
What drives these prices
- Ceremony. First-of-the-season auctions are publicity events, and the buyers are wholesalers and restaurants.
- Grading. Fruit is sorted by size, shape and sugar, and only the top few percent get the premium label.
- Gift culture. A perfect melon is a formal gift, which lifts the shelf price.
- Scarcity. Domestic matsutake and wild fugu are in short supply.
The habits that let people afford this
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What is the most expensive food product in Japan?
Bluefin tuna: one fish sold for ¥510 million (about $3.2 million) in January 2026.
How much does a Yubari melon cost in a shop?
Roughly ¥4,000 to ¥20,000 or more, depending on the grade and the store.
Why are Japanese melons so expensive?
Fruit is graded strictly by size, shape and sugar, and the best is sold as formal gifts.
Is matsutake cheaper if it is imported?
Yes. Imported mushrooms sell for far less than domestic ones, which are quoted at ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 per 100 g.
Can you eat a square watermelon?
They are picked unripe to hold their shape, so most are bought as decoration.
What is the cheapest item on this list?
The “adult” milk, at a reported launch price of ¥5,000 a bottle.
How we put this list together
We ranked these products by verified sale price, using auction results and disclosed sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change over time.
Keep reading
Last updated: October 2026.
