Shizuoka prefecture in Japan is famous for the high quality of its melons. The vines are pruned to produce a single fruit. The hats are to protect them from the sun. (Words: Roland Buerk, Pictures: Alfie Goodrich)

Shizuoka melons are grown in greenhouses, which have to be heated using oil furnaces. The cost of the fuel is a major reason for the expense. Some farms use air conditioning in the summer to maintain perfect growing conditions year round.

Farmer Masaomi Suzuki tends his crop. The musk melons are highly-prized; though they are originally from Central Asia, the sweet melons have become a popular gift in Japan. Some farmers have even managed to breed square melons.

Taste is important as well as looks. The Japanese tend to prefer their fruit to be very sweet. New seeds are developed each year by the cooperative and the goal is continuous improvement.

The melons are sold in boxes of six matched fruits. The ideal specimen is a perfect sphere, with even webbing across its surface. The T-shaped stalk on the top must also be present.

Sembikiya, in the centre of Tokyo, is one of Japan's best-known fruit shops. It has been run by the same family for 130 years. The emphasis is on quality and customer service.

These melons are being sold at 33,600 yen for two ($408, £257). The shop's management estimates 80% of purchases are for gifts, with the remaining shoppers buying the fruit for their own consumption.

Similar care goes into the production of apples, which must be large with an even red skin. Japanese farmers are protected from competition from abroad by high tariffs on imported produce.

The best-selling item is the box of Sembikiya Queen Strawberries, which goes for 6,825 yen, or $82.95 (£52) for 12 berries. They sell at least 50 boxes a day, and in Japan's two main gift-giving seasons, many more.