Protected local food
Nyuzen Jumbo Watermelon
入善ジャンボ西瓜
A giant, rugby-ball-shaped watermelon from Nyuzen in Toyama, weighing 17 to 19 kg on average. Dark-skinned, clearly striped and lightly sweet.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 15 December 2017
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 入善ジャンボ西瓜
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 富山県下新川郡入善町
Shaped like a rugby ball
Nyuzen jumbo watermelons are long ovals, like a rugby ball, with a dark rind and clear stripes. They weigh 17 to 19 kg on average, several times the size of a regular watermelon. The sweetness is light and refreshing rather than heavy.
Sandy fan of the Kurobe River
Nyuzen in Toyama sits on the wide, fertile fan of the Kurobe River. The sandy, shallow soil drains fast, which helps watermelon, a plant that hates wet roots and gets sick easily, to grow for a long season and become huge. Growers have raised jumbo watermelons here since the late Meiji era (early 1900s).
How it is used
One fruit feeds a crowd, so they are bought for summer gatherings and as gifts. Locally they are hung in straw nets to carry.
Good to know
- Summer is the season. Look for them at Nyuzen's roadside stations, where you can see just how big they are.
- Compare it with the Zentsuji Square Watermelon from Kagawa, a very different shape.
Questions travellers ask
How heavy is a Nyuzen jumbo watermelon?
About 17 to 19 kg on average.
Where is Nyuzen?
A town on the coast of Toyama Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan side of central Japan.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.