You don’t have to go far in any major Japanese city to see the country’s love for crab—just look for the spectacular, giant mechanical crabs hanging over some of the best seafood restaurants in town.
While many varieties of crab are popular in Japan, none are as impressive as the giant spider crab. These massive arthropods can grow up to nearly four metres wide and weigh close to twenty kilograms. Highly prized but difficult to catch, spider crabs are in short supply. Fortunately, Japan has plenty of other delicious crab varieties to enjoy.
Crab is served in countless ways, and many restaurants offer “all-you-can-eat” crab deals, with red king crab being one of the most sought-after options.
The Japanese blue crab, or Gazami crab, is another favourite. This species typically grows to around fifteen centimetres wide and seven centimetres from front to back. It is considered the most fished crab species in the world and is especially popular in Japan during the winter months when its flesh is at its sweetest and most delicate.
Known as kani in Japan, crab can be prepared and eaten in many ways. It can be grilled, flash-fried, baked, or lightly marinated and served as sashimi. Due to the high price of quality crab meat, it is often mixed with other ingredients like rice, used in croquettes, or served in salads and sushi.
Kani kama is a popular crab-like ingredient used in Japanese cooking. Also known as imitation crab, kani kama is made from ground fish combined with various flavours, stabilisers, and starch-based ingredients, giving it a slightly rubbery texture that mimics real crab. It has white flesh with a red-dyed outer layer and is often shredded to resemble real crab, prawn, or even lobster meat. Being a much cheaper alternative to real crab, kani kama is sometimes even moulded into the shape of an actual crab to enhance its appearance.
