---
title: A Bunch of Grapes Sold for $11,000 in Japan
description: They’re a status symbol.
authors:
  - name: Denver Nicks
    url: https://money.com/author/denver-nicks/
    at_money_since: 2015
    articles: 60
    covers:
      - Lifestyle
      - Banking
      - Business
      - Career Advice
      - Credit Cards
      - Economy and Politics
      - Housing
      - Identity Theft
      - Insurance
      - Investing
      - Loans
      - Personal Finance
      - Pets
      - Retirement
      - Shopping
      - Taxes
    social:
      - https://x.com/DenverNicks
      - https://plus.google.com/105122198911201917932
    former_staff: true
published: '2016-07-08T13:16:08.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-17T02:40:24.000Z'
section: Lifestyle
tags:
  - Auction
  - grapes
  - Japan
  - pubdesk
  - status symbol
word_count: 124
canonical: https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
---

> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

![JAPAN-LIFESTYLE-FOOD-CULTURE-FILES](https://img.money.com/2016/07/gettyimages-182452967.jpg)
*This picture taken on August 11, 2008 shows a cluster of "Ruby Roman" grapes.*

A man in Japan [bought](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/07/bunch-of-grapes-sold-for-8350-in-japan) a bunch of Ruby Roman grapes at auction Thursday for a price tag of nearly $11,000 dollars.

Auctions of seasonal fruit in Japan [regularly](https://money.com/yubari-melon-auction/) fetch big sums, as bidders seek prestige in the fruit. In May this year, two [Yubari cantaloupes](https://money.com/yubari-melon-auction/) were auctioned in Japan for more than $27,000.

Ruby Roman variety grapes are a highly sought after breed, descended from Fujiminori variety grapes, grown in Ishikawa prefecture. This year’s ping pong ball sized grapes went for 1.1 million yen, or about $10,900, or, roughly $350 a grape, according to the *[Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/07/bunch-of-grapes-sold-for-8350-in-japan)*.

“These are truly Ruby Roman gems,” said bid-winner Takamaru Konish, the auction winner. “We will display them at our store before giving our customers a sample taste.”

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "@id": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/#breadcrumb",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "Home",
          "item": "https://money.com"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Lifestyle",
          "item": "https://money.com/lifestyle/"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Places to Travel",
          "item": "https://money.com/places-to-travel/"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 4,
          "name": "A Bunch of Grapes Sold for $11,000 in Japan"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://money.com/#website",
      "url": "https://money.com",
      "name": "Money",
      "publisher": {
        "@id": "https://money.com/#organization"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/#webpage",
      "url": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/",
      "name": "A Bunch of Grapes Sold for $11,000 in Japan",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://money.com/#website"
      },
      "datePublished": "2016-07-08T13:16:08.000Z",
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/"
      },
      "inLanguage": "en-US",
      "breadcrumb": {
        "@id": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/#breadcrumb"
      },
      "dateModified": "2024-04-17T02:40:24.000Z"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Article",
      "headline": "A Bunch of Grapes Sold for $11,000 in Japan",
      "articleSection": "Lifestyle",
      "image": [
        {
          "@type": "ImageObject",
          "url": "https://img.money.com/2016/07/gettyimages-182452967.jpg",
          "width": 2500,
          "height": 1865,
          "caption": "JAPAN-LIFESTYLE-FOOD-CULTURE-FILES"
        }
      ],
      "author": [
        {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "Denver Nicks",
          "url": "https://money.com/author/denver-nicks/",
          "@id": "https://money.com/author/denver-nicks/#author",
          "image": "https://img.money.com/2012/09/09_1165862081.jpg?quality=85&w=640&h=640&crop=1",
          "sameAs": [
            "https://x.com/DenverNicks",
            "https://plus.google.com/105122198911201917932"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization",
      "datePublished": "2016-07-08T13:16:08.000Z",
      "description": "They’re a status symbol.",
      "abstract": "They’re a status symbol.",
      "@id": "https://money.com/grapes-auction-japan/",
      "inLanguage": "en-US",
      "dateModified": "2024-04-17T02:40:24.000Z",
      "wordCount": 124,
      "keywords": [
        "Auction",
        "grapes",
        "Japan",
        "pubdesk",
        "status symbol"
      ],
      "about": [
        {
          "@type": "Thing",
          "name": "Lifestyle",
          "sameAs": [
            "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle"
          ]
        },
        {
          "@type": "Thing",
          "name": "World Tourism rankings",
          "sameAs": [
            "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings"
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```