Norwegian wine collector, in the test-tasting I found. No idea where he got the money.
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As @bwv812 said, itās mostly to do with the mountains. According to wikipedia, 73% of Japanās land mass is mountainous, and urban/agricultural land is almost exclusively built in non-mountainous areas, which means 120 million people (double that of the UK) need to fit into 54% of the UKās available inhabitable land, and the available space for farming is quite restricted as a result. Itās also worth noting that the UK is only 60% self-sufficient in terms of food production, and thatās with double the amount of (available) space to fit half the population.
So no, itās not a conspiracy at all, and their food production capability is about what they claim.
These averaged 27 grams - some of the largest of the season.
The Ruby Roman has strict rules for selling; each grape must be over 20g and over 18% sugar. In addition, a special āpremium classā exists which requires the grape to be over 30g and where the entire fruit bunch must weigh at least 700g. In 2010, only six grapes qualified for premium status while in 2011, no grapes made the cut.
I would absolutely pay $100 for a single red ruby grape with a sugar content of 18%. Only once mind you. But as an amateur agriculturalist (hobby gardens :D) I have never even heard of such a thing.
30 grams, sure. At 4% sugar and texture of cotton. 18% sugar? I have some vines that can occasionally come close, but the berries look like currants.
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The rest of you can debate it all you want. Iām heading to Tokyo with a cargo hold full of tulip bulbs to make my fortune.
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Good to know. Most time you see the topic discussed all you get is a āJapan is small islandā simple explanation.
Iād be kind shocked and disappointed if the Japanese press didnāt pick up on any of the āstrangeā stuff that goes on in the West.
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No matter where you are, there are a few things that advertisers are well aware will get you to empty your pockets. Hereās a handy list of five:
ā¢ 1 - Speed & Convenience
In design, the rule is people can have things ācheap, good, or fastā or any of the two - but never all three. Youāll always pay for āfastā.
ā¢ 2 - āDone for Youā
Taken your car to the car wash lately? Ever needed a babysitter?
ā¢ 3 - Experience & Status (name branding)
Plain black patent Jimmy Chooās (style = Anouk) will cost a shoe horse $595+tax. She could buy nearly the same shoe for a fifth the price.
ā¢ 4 - Leading Edge, Trendsetting
Are you one of those people who has to have the latest model of phone?
ā¢ 5 - Access
Backstage and v.i.p. passes can cost five times the price of simply going to a show.
So, in the case of the āfirst of the seasonā fruits - thatās an internationally ānormalā highly priced commodity. They arenāt any different from the second batch, but someone gets to scream āFIRSTIES!ā. When the feeding frenzy is for charityās sake, at least itās got a good cause.
Historically, in brothels, young girls were auctioned off to the highest bidder when they were deemed old enough to join the adult work and lose their virginity. Recently, several women have auctioned off their virginity on line. Most recent, was āElizabeth Raineā who received a high bid of $801,000 and then changed her mind. A young girl in a brothel would never have had that option. This isnāt just a Western thing either, the devadasi of India are sold by their parents as children and then enter a life of sex. Iām only making this point to note that the āfirstā of anything has high value, and people will use that to rake in the cash.
And a lot of it is pretty objectionable in that context, too.
Are you really not going to even bother checking the exchange rate? 550,000 yen is a little over 5,400 dollars.
Thank you. Oh thank you.
@bmv812 and @AcerPlatanoides Donāt even start with each other.
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