Watermelon cooler push cart: perfect for those sultry North Carolina summers

Crazily enough, the device you're staring at above -- jaw solidly on the floor, we're sure -- is real. As in, you can purchase one for you and yours. So far as we can tell, this here watermelon cart (priced at ¥19,950, or a whopping $231) serves to keep your voluptuous fruit cool when being transported from market to mouth, but everything beyond that is lost in translation. What's curious, however, is that this seems like a device created and sold exclusively in Japan. If we had to bet, though, we'd say it was originally dreamed up by a farmer in eastern North Carolina -- you know, the home of watermelon Cook-Out milkshakes, an official watermelon license plate and roads where chop-top school buses are frequently used as watermelon hauling machines.

[EatMoreBread Posted Jul 20th 2010 9:47AM]

@Inspectigator

...And then vacuum the living room, would you? There's seeds EVERYWHERE.

[deepfoo Posted Jul 20th 2010 9:41AM]

A "Densuke" watermelon used to go for about $200 for an average one, and up to $1000s of dollars, the record being over 6k, dollars, not yen. An average watermelon is no less than $30 as I recall.

[pro54 Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:10AM]

I wonder if it has big tires for off road mode! Weeeeeeeeeeee

[mb821 Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:53AM]

Dangit Darren - now I need a watermelon milkshake. Luckily, I think there's a cook-out not far from where I'm going to dinner tonight!

[lejupp Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:58AM]

Galápagos-ka anyone?

[LEDfoot Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:58AM]

I believe the watermelon in the picture is just a placeholder for illustrative purposes.
The real purpose of this cooler is for you to be able to always bring along and display the severed head of your mortal enemy, kept in perfect condition.

[wacotn Posted Jul 20th 2010 11:16AM]

I live in NC, and sadly, I could see a lot of people doing this. Le sigh.

[Frankenstein Black Posted Jul 20th 2010 12:57PM]

Oh look, a giant "trouble bubble"! Pou-cok...

[infamous1 Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:50PM]

I thought the 'banana guard' was bad...

[kmiffy Posted Jul 20th 2010 3:32PM]

According to the Japanese website, you can keep things cool or warm via the cigarette adapter in your car. In the winter, they suggest that you keep your hot coffee, tea and pork buns warm in it. So I guess it's not all watermelons...

[bombastinator Posted Jul 20th 2010 4:18PM]

IIRC the Japanese have this thing about fantastically expensive watermelon grown inside forms to make them into weird shapes such a s hearts or cubes. They go for hundreds of dollars, god knows why. I can see someone stupid enough to buy one of those also being stupid enough to put it in one of these.

[eh270 Posted Jul 21st 2010 10:16AM]

Looks like Krang's car.

[ElScorcho Posted Aug 4th 2010 10:37AM]

The mention of Cook Out watermelon shakes has solidified my love for Engadget. You've truly won me over now.