TOKYO, May 22 -- A pair of melons grew in Yubari city in the country's northern prefecture of Hokkaido hit 1.5 million yen (about 12,417 U.S. dollars) on Friday in the year's first auction of the fresh fruit at a wholesale market in Sapporo, capital city of Hokkaido.

The price is the fourth highest over the past 10 years. Another pair of such melons won about 2.5 million yen (about 20,695 dollars) in last year's auction, according local media.

The bid winner, Kazuo Watarai, a manager at a Sapporo based fruit wholesaler, said he felt relieved after the winning. The manager also won a similar bid two years ago, reported Japan's Kyodo News.

Forty other Yubari-nourished melons were also auctioned on Friday. The top-priced pair is expected to be displayed at a supermarket in the city of Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, said the report.

Melons produced in the Yubari city in northern part of Hokkaido are considered high-quality and often sent as gifts in Japan.