A Common Fruit in Korea, but in Japan It’s So Prized It Gets Stolen: Shine Muscat Grapes Become a Social Issue

Shine Muscat Prices Surge Ahead of Obon
Driven by Demand for Luxury Fruit Gifts and Ritual Offerings
A Series of Thefts Target Orchards Awaiting Harvest

In Japan, a series of thefts targeting the premium grape variety 'Shine Muscat' have become a social issue.

In Japan, a series of thefts targeting the premium grape variety 'Shine Muscat' has become a social issue. Getty Images

According to Nittere News and other local media on August 10, as the major Japanese holiday 'Obon' (around August 15) approaches, the price of Shine Muscat grapes at supermarkets in Tokyo has surged by more than 30% compared to the same period last year. This increase is attributable to heightened demand for high-end fruit gifts and offerings for ancestral rites.

A woman in her 40s who purchased a pack of Shine Muscat grapes for about 1,600 yen (approximately 14,000 won) said, "The price makes me hesitate, but it's fine since I can offer some to my ancestors and also let my child eat them."

However, as Shine Muscat prices have climbed, thefts targeting orchards just before harvest have also increased. At an orchard in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, around 400 bunches of Shine Muscat grapes, nearly ready for harvest, were stolen from three greenhouses between July 25 and August 5. The estimated damage is about 800,000 yen (around 710,000 won), and it is believed that the perpetrators cut and took clusters of grapes from blind spots within the orchard.

Shine Muscat. Getty Images

At a vineyard in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, about 50 bunches of Shine Muscat grapes awaiting harvest were stolen earlier this month. In Okayama Prefecture, a 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of stealing around 200 bunches of Shine Muscat grapes, resulting in damage totaling about 400,000 yen (approximately 355,000 won). Police believe that the stolen Shine Muscat grapes were sold online, and are investigating the details of the case.

Farmers devastated by the sudden loss of grapes they spent a year cultivating have started sleeping in vehicles, patrolling their fields, and strengthening their own security measures. The orchard in Tochigi Prefecture appealed, "Since we worked hard growing them for a year, all we can do is ask them to please stop (the thefts)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.