I must have spent too much time in Japan, because the last time I passed my local Super Expensive Fruit Store (where they always ask if you’d like your purchase gift wrapped!), I actually found myself wishing I’d been invited somewhere that would require a gift of produce that’s as pricey as a good bottle of champagne. I badly wanted to appear on someone’s doorstep with this square watermelon!
Of course, at first I was suspicious that it was a scary new experiment in genome tampering, but it turns out they just grow them in molds! In fact, this dominatrix-like fruit training isn’t confined to watermelons! Check out the Deco Cucumber:
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“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist
Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
Bonsai vegetables!
I mean, not exactly, but the impulse behind these vegetables seems similar to the impulse behind bonsai.
I never thought of it like that! You could be right. I sort of thought it might be one of the more extreme examples of cuteness in the lunchtime bento box wars, but the bending of fruits and veggies to one’s will IS a sort of bonsai…
They have Mickey Mouse ones in Orlando.
Oh, I badly want to see those! Was it cucumbers? Or other fruit/veggies? When I googled this subject to see if there were any examples I hadn’t seen in person, I found a guy in China who grows pears into the shape of baby Buddhas. Since it was China, it sadly didn’t belong on my Japan blog, but it was kind of amazing!
Bizarre. Odd. And funny.
I think so too! I kind of want to find where they sell those cucumber molds, since they’d make such great Xmas presents to various friends and family in the States!