Kani Doraku on Dotombori, Osaka is probably Osaka‘s most recognizable restaurants. The front of the restaurant is adorned with a giant six and a half metre mechanical crab.
Sometimes spelt Kani Douraku, this seafood restaurant, and it’s crab mascot, dates back to the 1960s. The monstrous crab moves its arms, pincers and even eye-stalks, almost inviting customers in for the freshest and largest crab dishes. The massive crab has inspired many other mechanical crabs as well as other creatures including squid, octopus and fish around Japan.
Kani Doraku is one very popular restaurant on the Dotombori area. It has a huge menu and of course crab is its signature cuisine. Prices are said to be very reasonable, and lunchtime meals are even cheaper than the busy evening service.
Several Kani Doraku restaurants can be found complete with mechanical crab in quite a few centres in Japan, Tokyo alone has around 20 of the restaurants including glitzy Ginza and Shinjuku, all serving the freshest seafood including these very tasty crustaceans.
The crab is modelled off a horse hair crab or kegani which are prized for their tender meat and rich flavour. Their internal organs are also a delicacy, all prepared in dozens of different ways.
Kani Doraku Official Website:
https://douraku.co.jp/en/
