Interesting Facts! #7

7) A melon can sell for over $400 in Japan

-Japan has one of the highest prices for fruit and vegetables 

Fruits and vegetables are expensive because of Japan's land mass. Compared to the US or Canada, it's much, much smaller; hence, less land to farm on. It's also more difficult to grow stuff on mountainous terrain than it is in the flat plains of the Midwest. It may look like there's "plenty of land", but the country won't start turning itself into a island greenhouse for your vegetarian tastes. Also, Japan has one of the greatest human population densities in the world, meaning that each plot of land in Japan needs to feed more people. Also, Japan isn't very close to many fruit-producing countries. In the US, fruits and veggies are cheaper because a lot of it can be grown in-country, but they also have Latin America close by to send their exports. Japan is an ocean away, so shipping costs would be much greater, leading to higher prices for you at the supermarket.

                                                                            -The more you know~