Crate of oranges sells for $9,600 in Japan

日本一箱柑橘卖出了9600美元的天价

How many mandarin oranges can you buy with one million yen -- or roughly $9,600?

100万日元（6万多人民币）你觉得可以买到多少柑橘？

For one fruit-loving buyer at an auction this week in Japan, the answer is just 100.

A single, 20-kilogram crate of 100 Japanese mandarins (also called mikan) hit the auction block on Thursday at Tokyo's central wholesale Ota Market.

对本周日本一场拍卖会上的某位水果爱好者来说，他的答案是只有100个。这箱20千克重的100个日本产柑橘（也被称为蜜柑）创下了东京大田批发市场周四的拍卖记录。

It was the year's first auction of satsuma mandarin oranges, a famous citrus species from Ehime prefecture, on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan.

这也是萨摩蜜柑（又称温州蜜柑）这种日本南部四国岛上爱媛县著名柑橘品种今年的第一次拍卖。

'Three suns'

“三个太阳”

Nishiuwa is one of Ehime's mikan-producing regions and its semi-seedless citrus species of oranges is known for its good balance of rich and sweet flavors, its easy-to-peel thin skin as well as its melt-in-the-mouth texture.

西宇和是爱媛县的蜜柑产区之一，这里产出的小核/无核柑橘品种以味道香甜、口感层次丰富，皮薄易剥且入口即化著称。

The highest priced Nishiuwa mandarins are from one of the region's leading brands -- Hinomaru.

西宇和蜜柑中价格最高的产品出自于该地区的领导品牌——日之丸。

"Hinomaru mikan are produced in a limited area on the coast of Yawatahama city in Ehime prefecture," Shin Asai, from JA Nishiuwa's sales department, tells CNN. "It's a mikan that is grown with so-called three suns -- the actual sun, the reflected light from the sea and the reflected light from the stone walls of the terraced fields."

“日之丸蜜柑仅在爱媛县八恬滨沿海的一小片区域出产，这里的蜜柑号称是在三个太阳照射下生长的——真正的太阳、海面反射的阳光以及梯田石墙上反射的阳光。”西宇和JA公司销售员接受采访时称。

Only about 100 farmers produce this special kind of mikan in the area.

当地只有约100位农民生产这种特别的蜜柑。

"Hinomaru Mikan this year have been particularly good quality," Asai adds.

他还说：“今年的日之丸蜜柑质量特别好。”

这就是卖出了6万多元人民币的那箱蜜柑

The high bid at Thursday's auction was considered "a very celebratory price" to mark the beginning of Japan's mikan season, according to a representative of Nishiuwa agricultural association.

西宇和农产品协会的人认为周四拍出的高价是“值得庆贺的价格”，因为它为今年日本蜜柑季节开了一个好头。

"Since the quality of the fruit of each year is evaluated at the first auction, it will greatly affect the subsequent sales," Asai says. "First auction is very important for the fruit industry."

“因为每年在第一次拍卖的时候会对当年的品质进行鉴定，它会极大影响到之后的销售。对水果产业来说，第一次拍卖都是非常重要的。”

The typical price of this type of high-end mandarin orange is usually around JPY7,800 (or $75) for 10 kilograms.

这种高端蜜柑的正常价格一般约50元人民币一公斤

It wasn't the first time the sweet mandarins fetched such a staggering price in an auction -- the highest bidding price last year was also in the million range.

这种蜜柑不是第一次被拍出如此高价了——去年的最高拍卖价格也达到了百万日元水平（超过6万人民币）

"But considering the negative impact in the economy because of Covid-19, we were surprised and also delighted that it was auctioned off for one million yen," says Asai.

“但考虑到疫情对经济带来的负面影响，我们对今年卖到100万日元的价格及惊讶又开心。”

Sweet and expensive

昂贵的甜蜜

The identity of the high bidder remains unknown for now but Asai believes it'll be revealed within a few days.

虽然目前这箱高价蜜柑的买家信息还不清楚，但销售人员认为未来几天就会公开了。

"A high-end supermarket purchased it last year and used it for publicity for the store," says Asai.

“去年高价买入的是一家高端超市，放在超市内做展示的。”

Japan has been known for producing sweet and expensive fruits for years. Last year, 24 bunches of ruby red grapes were auctioned for JPY1.2 million ($11,000).

日本多年来都以生产甜蜜但昂贵的水果著称。去年，24挂红宝石葡萄也曾拍出过120万日元（近7万元人民币）的天价。

"Fruits are treated differently in Asian culture and in Japanese society especially," Soyeon Shim, dean of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNN in 2019. "Fruit purchase and consumption are tied to social and cultural practices.

“亚洲，尤其是日本社会，对待水果的看法是不一样的。购买和消费水果与社会和文化习惯有关。”一名日裔威斯康星-麦迪逊大学人类生态学院院长介绍说。

"It is not only an important part of their diet, but, perhaps more importantly, fruit is considered a luxury item and plays an important and elaborate ritual part in Japan's extensive gift-giving practices."

“水果不仅仅是饮食中非常重要的一部分，更重要的是，水果在某种程度上被视为一种奢侈品，在日本流行的送礼文化中占据了非常重要的地位。”

Mandarins are one of the most popular fruits in Japan. According to a report in 2019 by Japan's Statistic Bureau, mandarins were the country's highest yielding fruits in 2016 and 2017.

柑橘是日本最受欢迎的水果之一。根据日本统计局2019年报告显示，2016和2017两年，柑橘蝉联该国产量最大的水果。

Ehime is only second to Wakayama Prefecture in terms of total mandarin production but is number one in terms of the overall output of over 40 different types of citrus fruits, including satsumas. Its local mascot is a cartoon orange called Mikyan.

爱媛县虽然在柑橘的总产量上次于和歌山市位居日本第二，但该县出产40多种柑橘，在种类数量上却是最多的，其中就包括萨摩蜜柑（温州蜜柑）。当地的吉祥物也是一只柑橘造型的卡通人物，叫“蜜甘”。