Kagawa hosts Japan pumpkin weigh

The port town of Tonosho on the west coast of Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture played host to the 36th edition of the Japan Pumpkin Weigh-off Championship earlier this month, with Makoto Nakajima from Yamanashi Prefecture winning the top prize for the first time.A total of 47 pumpkins were brought in from 10 prefectures around the country and 71-year-old Nakajima produced a behemoth weighing in at 427.4 kilograms to secure victory.Nakajima's triumph in the event held at Tonosho's old town hall secured him a qualifying berth for the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in California on Oct. 10.