Big-budget berries

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Developed by Mikio Okuda, a Japanese farmer with over 45 years of experience growing strawberries, over 15 years of trial and error, Bijin-Hime is one of the world's most highly regarded strawberry varieties. The largest fruits are about the size of a tennis ball and weigh around 100 grams, but it's not the size that makes the Beautiful Princess special. Well, actually, it is, but not in the way you expect.

Generally, the larger a strawberry is, the less flavor and sweetness it has, but that is certainly not the case with Bijin-Hime strawberries. They are rated at 13 degrees Brix, which makes them considerably sweeter than the 10-degree Brix strawberry standard, and have a flavor reminiscent of roses. The texture of Bijin-Hime strawberries is said to strike a perfect balance between soft and firm, and the vibrant red color of its shiny skin is said to permeate right down to its core. It also lacks any of the acidity and funky after-taste that one usually gets from supermarket varieties.

Like many other Japanese strawberry growers, Mikio Okuda grows his Beautiful Princess variety during the winter months, carefully monitoring the temperature of the soil and the air inside his greenhouses at Okuda Farms, in Hashima, Gifu Prefecture. The slow ripening may be one of the secrets behind the sweetness and intense flavor of the strawberries, but Okuda isn't inclined to give out too much information. And for good reason.

After spending 15 years cross-breeding strawberries to create Bijin-Hime, Mikio Okuda finally achieved what he set out to do-create a large, perfectly-shaped strawberry that also provides excellent flavor. The process is still not perfect, though, as some of the fruits tend to come out round, like fleshy globes. Those aren't fit for commercialisation, and CNN reports that Okuda only produces around 500 market-worthy strawberries per year.

In a country where quality fruits are literally worth their weight in gold (if not more), Mikio Okuda's Beautiful Princess strawberries are highly sought-after. At one auction, a single, particularly large Bijin-Hime strawberry sold for 50,000 yen ($350). Some sources claim that the most expensive one sold for $500, but we haven't found any proof of that. Still, $350 for a single strawberry sounds ridiculous.

Turning water into beer

A California company is recycling wastewater from an apartment building to make beer

Epic Cleantec, a water treatment company, teamed with Devil's Canyon Brewing Co. to create an ale made using recycled water from showers, sinks and washing machines in Fifteen Fifty, a 40-story luxury apartment building. "Buildings globally use 14 per cent of all potable water," Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO and co-founder of Epic Cleantec, told CNN. "Almost no buildings reuse that water. That's what we're trying to change." The beer is not currently for sale due to regulations banning recycled wastewater from being used in commercial beverages, but it proved to be a big hit at a conference on sustainable building technologies. Tartakovsky said the company is now in talks with other breweries worldwide.

Can head

Japanese national Shunichi Kanno, 31, has reclaimed his own Guiness World Record by attaching 11 cans to his head using air suction. He had initially set a record in 2009 with nine cans, but it was broken by Jamie "Canhead" Keeton, who replicated the feat with 10 cans. Kanno, who upped the ante to 11 cans, said that the trick was learning to create air suction on his temples.

Barbearic!

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A zoo in eastern China denied claims that some of its bears are actually humans in costume. A video of one of its sun bears standing on slender, hind legs with loose, baggy-looking skin went viral and users suggested the animal wasn't the real thing. They accused Hangzhou Zoo of dressing humans up like bears. Posting on social media, the zoo insisted the sun bears, native to Malaysia, were the real deal.

Accidental pay raise

A man temporarily became rich, after the company he worked for paid him 367 times more than he earned. While he was owed only 238 euros, an error in converting the currency from Hungarian forints to euros meant the man was paid 92,549 euros instead.

Monkey at the terminal

Malaysia Airports posted a video to Facebook showing a monkey climbing high up on a window support inside Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminal 1. Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia were summoned to the airport to rescue the primate. A follow-up post revealed rescuers had used a lift to bring it to safety.

90-minute croc attack

Falmira De Jesus, an Indonesian woman was collecting water from a shallow stream when she was attacked by a crocodile. As she approached the water, the reptile leaped up from the foliage, grabbed her leg, and dragged her into the water. The croc reportedly gripped Falmira for 90 minutes, trying to drag her down, before help arrived.