They cite that as happening at a wholesale auction. The photograph depicts mango for 9800 yen, about $100. Still absurd, but more than an order of magnitude less.
It puts me in mind of the guy who breaks records every year by buying a tuna for millions of dollars:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/01/07/168813383/th...
I'd just as soon not get one that I'd feel weird about eating for being supremely expensive... but I can say that I'm happy to have "slow food" that somebody put time and effort into.
I'm not sure where I'd draw the line between the two. Perhaps a factor of 2. Maybe even 10. But please don't give me a $100 mango.
The $100 fruit is a premium item that comes in a nice box appropriate to send as a gift. Note: This isn't that different from the premium gift boxes sold in the U.S. (e.g., Harry and David box of six pears and some nuts for $100).
In this case, I think it helps to consider the mango as art rather than food.
It's a similar thing with Koi Carp.