About Fukui’s Echizen Gani
Fukui Prefecture is home to Japan’s best crabs.
Cover photo: Posing with a larger-than-life crab statue at the Echizen Crab Museum, Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, Japan (2025). Photo by Catherine Cornelius.
Intro
Japan’s Fukui Prefecture is famous for many things — dinosaurs, ruins, temples — but especially delicious snow crab. Locally caught “Echizen gani” is the most famous variety in the nation!
I look forward to the fresh catch of crabs every year, strictly caught from November 6th to March 20th to ensure sustainable fishing. It’s an undisputed highlight of Fukui’s seasonal offerings and a major source of local pride. I recently joined a free monitor tour with the Echizen Town Tourism Association to learn more about the beloved industry.
Echizen Crab
Japan’s best snow crabs are found here, in Fukui Prefecture. Called “Echizen gani,” this winter delicacy has been the only variety of crab served to the Imperial Family since 1922. The price for a single male crab often ranges from 15,000 to 50,000 yen (about 100 to 335 USD).
Identified as “Echizen gani” by their landing port, these crabs are in fact the same species (Chionoecetes opilio) as many varieties found throughout the Sea of Japan — where the cold current endows crabs with sweet, firm meat.
What sets “Echizen gani” apart from other brands? The Echizen Coast’s unique topography offers Japan’s closest access to crab fishing grounds; that’s why “Echizen gani” boast a reputation of high-quality freshness. Crabs can be reached quickly in under two hours and brought alive to market!
History
Because snow crabs live in the deep sea, they were not caught until the 16th century, likely discovered as a bycatch of bottom trawling. Although there is evidence of “Echizen gani” arriving in then-capital Kyoto as early as 1511, crabs were not widely-popular because they are easily perishable and difficult to transport. As transportation methods improved, interest in crab spread; they could travel as far as Tokyo by the end of the Meiji period, around 1909.
In 1997, Fukui fisherman were the first in the nation to develop a yellow-tag certifying port of arrival. Since 2018, “Echizen gani” are registered under Japan’s Geographical Indication (GI) Act as a regional specialty product.
Tour
Lead by local guide Hiroaki Mouri (毛利 裕昭), we began our trip at Echizen Port. There we met Fujio Yamashita (山下 富士夫), captain of the Taikimaru — Fukui’s only beni-zuwaigani (red snow crab) fishing boat. He gave us a tour of the vessel, on which he works eight hour days. It sounds difficult!
A native of Nagoya, Yamashita-san left his job as a salaryman when he married into the business. Though most fishing operations here are family-run, the luxury price of local crabs attracts even workers from across Asia; crab fishing in less-profitable regions may become untenable as Japan’s population ages.
Afterwards, we walked through the Echizen Crab Morning Market, where fishermen auction their fresh catch to wholesalers, who then sell to restaurants, hotels, and so on. Though crab season had not yet ended, the market was empty during our visit due to stormy weather.
We went on to the Echizen Crab Museum, where we learned more about the crab’s lifecycle thanks to researcher and museum director Noriyuki Ohma (大間 憲之). Young crabs floating in the aquarium tanks look like specks of dust. It takes over ten years for the animal to mature, with multiple rounds of molting! Male crabs can grow up to 80 centimeters (about 2.6 feet) in length and weigh up to 1.3 kilograms (about 2.9 pounds).
Lunch
Finally it was time for lunch! A generous feast was prepared for us at the restaurant Hatago Okeya. A refreshing smell of sea salt filled the air. In a beautiful tatami room, upon lacquer tables, lay waiting several boiled beni-zuwaigani (red snow crab) — caught on the very same boat we had boarded earlier. The sight of their crimson shells and long legs was mouthwatering.
Beni-zuwaigani (Chionoecetes japonicus) are an entirely different species from yellow-tag “Echizen gani” (Chionoecetes opilio). Red snow crab is smaller and cheaper, but also softer and sweeter, so it’s especially loved by locals.
Part of crab’s appeal is the physical eating experience! Restaurant proprietress Tomoco Ohmi (淡海 友子) kindly demonstrated how to open the crabs and remove their meat. First, the crab tail or apron must be removed, then the gills. Of course, legs are the star of the meal. With a loud crack, they can be twisted off the body. We were given serrated scissors to cut through the shell. After a few careful incisions, the meat is removed easily. It’s so tender and juicy. No seasoning necessary!
In Japan, the body’s innards or offal are also eaten. I remember naively ordering “gani miso” when I first moved to Fukui, shocked to receive the soupy concoction; the flavor is strong and the texture is rich. It’s an acquired taste.
In addition to our beni-zuwaigani, we enjoyed assorted sashimi (raw fish), rice, pickles, miso soup — and for dessert, seasonal mikan (Japanese orange). By the end of the meal, I was completely full and totally satisfied.
Conclusion
Although snow crabs can be transported to many parts of Japan today, they still taste best near their landing port. I hope more and more people will come to experience Fukui’s culinary delights.
Advertising Disclosure
I attended this tour for free thanks to the Echizen Town Tourism Association. Also, as part of the Fukui Reporter program, I am tasked with participating in local events and publicly promoting the prefecture. This is a volunteer position that allows me free entrance to a selection of museums throughout the area. The opinions I share are my own.
