Tokyo, Sep 22 (IANS): A grape-seed spitting contest was held in Japan's Yamanashi prefecture in an effort to promote the region's main fruit crop.

The annual event, hosted by a local tourism association at the peak of the harvest season, attracted local families and tourists to a park in Fuefuki city on Monday, NHK news agency reported.

Participants competed to see who could spit a grape seed the farthest in a group of 20. They were given two chances.

Competitors ranging from young children to the elderly were seen popping grapes in their mouths before making various gestures in their attempts to spit the seed as far as they could.

An elementary school student said it was hard to spit the seeds very far. She added that she could do better if she stuck her foot forward, and that she wanted another try.

A man in his 70s from Chiba prefecture was the winner, with a distance of nearly 9 metres.

The winner received a prize of 2 kg of grapes.