The Most Expensive Fruits in the World

There is a custom in Japan to give gifts of fruit to people who are important to you and Sembikiya 千疋屋 is synonymous with the highest quality Japanese fruits. If you have not tasted one before, you would be wondering why would anyone pay $150 for a single musk melon.

The Tale of Three Shops

There are three Sembikiya in Tokyo – Sembikiya Honten 千疋屋総本店 which is Japan’s oldest fruit store, Ginza Sembikiya and Nihonbashi Sembikiya. Before you think the other two were copycats, they are siblings of the same father. The Honten opened in 1834, followed by Nihonbashi in 1881 and Ginza in 1894. Of the three , Ginza Sembikiya is the most popular among foreign guests because of the delicious musk melons and the parfaits they sell on the 2nd floor.

Ginza Sembikiya 銀座千疋屋 was established as a fruit specialty shop in 1894 as a branch of Sembikiya Honten. A fruit parlour was opened later, where they developed creations such as “fruit punch” to propose new ways of enjoying fruit while being loyal to the tradition.

Stepping up the narrow stairs at the side of the fruit shop, guests in fashionable outfits are savouring parfaits or cakes at the first ever fruit ‘parlour’ on the second floor. The ingredients featured in the parfait change with the season but there are always seven different fruits as well as other components like lemon jelly, mango and peach sherbet, strawberry sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream. 

ピーチパフェ⁠ Peach Parfait

The peach parfait was a limited season item that was luxuriously decorated with fresh peaches that were so fresh that the juice was overflowing. Rich sweetness and aroma, ⁠the white peaches were in season and the fragrance of the fruit was so strong you can smell it was served.

Besides peach slices, there were peach jelly, peach sorbet combined with fresh cream, it was a perfect peach parfait.

マンゴータルト Mango Tart

Crunchy, fragrant, almond-flavoured tart dough topped with generous amount of seasonal freshly cut mango slices, sweetened mango cubes, a layer of custard cream and a dollop of whipped cream.

The refreshingly sweet passion fruit paired perfectly with the richly flavoured mango.

Decoration on the second floor is highly sophisticated, tableware is elegant and staff are assiduously polite, which all remind us of its 190 years of tradition.

Three Sembikiya are individually managed, yet collaborating with each other – a rare occurrence in the cutthroat business world these days. Each shop creates an original dessert using the same fruit, which is a good opportunity for you to visit all three to taste the difference and choose your favourite.

Ginza Sembikiya 銀座千疋屋
New Ginza Sembikiya building B1F, 1F, 2F
5-5-1Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
Tel : +81 (0)3 3572 0101

Visited Jul 2023

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