Ask John: Do Watermelon Have Any Special Meaning in Japanese Culture?

Question:
Do watermelon have any special meaning in Japanese culture? The reason I ask is that in the anime show Ranma 1/2, the people are often seen wearing watermelon-paterned bathing suits or clothes, and are seen eating watermelon a lot. Do you have any idea why this is?

Answer:
This may be a little bit of a stereotype, but Japanese people like watermelon. Watermelon is not a native fruit to Japan, but unlike other imported fruits such as pineapple, watermelon has been adopted into Japanese culture and has become as much a part of the Japnese summer ritual as picnics and visits to the beach. Because summertime in Japan tends to be very hot, cold watermelon is a very refreshing natural snack. You can see examples of this in not only Ranma, but also in anime series including Hanaukyo Maid Tai, Tenchi Muyo: Manatsu no Eve, and Neoranga, among others. Actually you may notice that the watermelon in anime are often round rather than oval shaped. Watermelon are cherished, partially because they’re slightly expensive, because Japanese watermelon are typically hydroponically grown to be perfectly spherical, and thus more attractive, than their natural, lumpy oval shape. More recently, Japanese farmers have even introduced square watermelon exactly the right size to fit on the bottom shelf of a refrigerator and maximize space useage.

I can only suggest that the watermelon pattern of swimsuits in Ranma is a characteristic of Rumiko Takahashi’s penchant for drawing striped bikinis, taking into account the tiger-striped oni costumes of Urusei Yatsura.