1 bunch of grapes sold for $11K at auction in Japan

A bunch of Ruby Roman grapes has broken auction records in Japan, selling for 1.1 million yen-- almost $11,000. (anna1311)

A bunch of Ruby Roman grapes sold at an auction house in Japan on Thursday for 1.1 million yen—almost $11,000.

With just 30 grapes in a bunch, that equates to roughly $350 per grape, according to the Guardian. But these aren’t your average seedless grocery store stock--  each grape is roughly the size of a ping pong ball.

The prized grapes, which are grown exclusively in the Ishikawa prefecture along Japan’s West Coast, have become a status symbol for the ultra-rich in the country over the last decade. At harvest, each grape must weigh at least 20 grams and have a sugar content of at least 18 percent.

This year’s winner says he will share a select samples of his prize with a few lucky patrons.

“These are truly Ruby Roman gems,” high bidder Takamaru Konishi of Kurashi Kaientai supermarkets in western Japan told the media after sealing the deal on his record-breaking buy.

“We will display them at our store before giving our customers a sample taste.”

Last year, chef Masayuki Hirai of Hotel Nikko Kanazawa paid $8,200 for a bunch of 26 Ruby Roman grapes.

The sale kicks off the annual fruit auction season for in Japan. Other fruits that command huge sums at Japanese auctions include apples and melons—with one pair fetching 1.5 million yen last year.