[Western Japan Edition] Take a trip to enjoy the luxury of crab in autumn and winter. 8 recommended destinations and onsen ryokan

There are many ways to enjoy traveling, such as visiting tourist spots and staying in nice hotels. One of the most popular ways to enjoy traveling is a gourmet trip. The king of gourmet trips in the fall and winter is crab! It is a taste of the sea packed with umami, and it is said that there are more than 1,000 species of crab in Japan. Freshness is key for crab, so eat it in season where it is landed.

When you hear the word crab, the first thing that comes to mind is Hokuriku and Hokkaido, but western Japan, especially the Sea of Japan side, has long been famous for its delicious crabs. There are many branded crabs, including Kyoto 's Taiza Crab and San'in's Matsuba Crab. For something a little different, we also recommend Takezaki crab, a blue crab from Saga in Kyushu. Kansai and Kyushu in the fall and winter have a lot of moist scenery, and it has a travel atmosphere that is suitable for an adult travel destination.

This time, we have compiled a list of crabs that are in season in autumn and winter in Western Japan by region. We will introduce you to inns where you can eat delicious crab dishes in Kyoto, a surprising crab-producing area, as well as Hyogo, Tottori Shimane, and Saga. Let's go on a crab gourmet trip where you can eat plenty of sweet and delicious crab in season ♪

*All hotel and ryokan information is current as of September 2023.

From Tokyo, Kyoto can be reached in as little as 2 hours and 10 minutes by Shinkansen. The sea side of Japan Kyoto is also a crab fishing ground. The brand crab "Taiza crab" is brought alive to a nearby ryokan and cooked. If you want to taste the crabs of the Sea of Japan, which are said to be the finest snow crabs, Kyoto Prefecture in autumn and winter is recommended.

Taiza crab is a snow crab from the Sea of Japan that is landed at Taiza Port in Kyoto. The fishing grounds are located 20 to 30 km away, and the crabs caught are brought back to the port on the same day they are shipped, so they are extremely fresh. As the fishing is done by only 4 to 5 small boats, the catch is small, and they are called "phantom crabs." Furthermore, only crabs that pass strict selection standards can be tagged with a green Taiza crab tag. They are highly valued as the only snow crab that can be eaten raw, and are a very rare and luxurious crab.

"Sumihei" is a culinary ryokan located in Taiza Onsen, onsen about 20 minutes by car from Amino Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway. It is a long-established store founded in the first year of the Meiji era, and is one of the oldest ryokan in Tamba Town. Enjoy a superb view of the Japan sea from all rooms and the precious Majin crabs.

For autumn and winter, we recommend Taiza crab from the Sea of Japan, which can be prepared in a variety of ways. You can experience the delicious taste of Taiza crab in each cooking method.

This inn has six private baths (one is charged) where you can enjoy natural onsen. All of them include ``Tsukimi-no-Yu,'' which is designed with a rock bath and Karesansui, ``Sumi-no-Yu,'' where you can enjoy the shallow onsen bath while lying down, and ``Umi-no-Yu,'' which overlooks the blue sea and sky. attractive! Please visit the hot springs and enjoy the uniqueness of each one.

"Yuhigaura onsen Kashoen Bettei Fuuka" is about 3 minutes by shuttle bus from Yuhigaura Kizu onsen Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway. This is a onsen hotel located in This hotel is located near Yuhigaura Beach, which has been selected as one of Japan's 100 best sunsets, and has a great view of the Sea of Japan from a hill. Enjoy a hotel stay where you can enjoy fresh Matsuba crab caught at a nearby fishing port and an ocean view.

Recommended for winter, crab kaiseki using only live Matsuba crab. From the appetizers to the porridge, plenty of crab is used, so be sure to enjoy the elegant flavor of crab. The meal ``Feng Shui'' prepares food according to your eating speed. Relax and enjoy the exquisite crabs from the Sea of Japan along with fresh fish purchased from nearby fishing ports.

onsen are from Yuhigaura onsen, which is famous as a beauty bath. All rooms have private open-air baths, and each room has a bath with a different atmosphere with a different view, and the baths are fed by natural hot spring water. Enjoy the Sea of Japan at dusk and the beautiful hot springs for your skin.

If you take the Shinkansen, you can get to Hyogo from Tokyo in as little as 3 hours and 30 minutes. In autumn and winter Hyogo Prefecture can be called the mecca of crabs. Hyogo is home to many brand crabs, including Shibayama crab, Tsuiyama crab, and Kasumi crab. No matter which one you try, they are all sweet and delicious.

"Shibayama crab" refers to snow crabs caught at Shibayama Fishing Port. These crabs are characterized by being sorted into 110 precise ranks, with the top-ranking Shibayama crabs being tagged with a pink tag. Among them, a perfect crab known as "Shibayama Gold" can be found. This rare crab is said to be found only one in 1000, with perfect size, meat firmness, color and luster. The meat is outstanding in all areas, including richness of flavor, sweetness, aroma and firmness.

Here you can enjoy a full course meal of Shibayama Crab caught on the same day at Shibayama Port at a reasonable price. This culinary ryokan overlooks Shibayama Bay from halfway up the mountain, and is conveniently located right in front of JR Shibayama Station. The interior of the hotel has a modern design that combines Japanese taste and Western functionality, and art is displayed everywhere. It's exciting to feel like you're on a treasure hunt! Each of the 18 rooms has a different carved wooden object attached to the key, so look forward to finding out which one it is! The humorous wood carving art is sure to make you laugh.

The full course of Shibayama crab starts with sashimi, followed by crab shabu-shabu, crab chiri, steamed crab, grilled crab, crab miso, and rice porridge to finish off the meal - it's all about crab. The grilled crab, cooked in Arita's Horaku (an unglazed pot), is the inn's specialty. It is cooked over a special high heat and then pressured with a heavy lid to lock in the flavor. Before the fishing season for Shibayama crab opens, you can also enjoy Kasumi crab, so if you're a crab lover, why not stay twice and try both?

There are 18 rooms in total, including Japanese-style rooms (bed types and futon sleeping types) and Western-style rooms. Some rooms have a semi-open-air bath or an open-air bath, and in the ``Tsukiangko-no-ma'' room, you can spend a luxurious time enjoying the ocean scenery while taking a bath made of ceramic. It feels good to open the windows and feel the breeze while taking a bath. In the winter, a kotatsu will be provided in the room with a low table, so please enjoy a warm and relaxing time under the kotatsu.

From Tokyo, San'in may seem far away, but if you take a plane from Haneda, you can get to Tottori in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Tottori is one of the top crab kingdoms with the Japan amount of crab landed. The "pine needle crab" of the Sea of Japan caught in autumn and winter is of the highest quality in taste and size. In the San'in region, male snow crabs are called pine needle crabs, and they are tagged with a white tag with the brand name "Tottori Matsuba Gani" in red.

"Itsukiboshi" is a brand crab carefully selected from Matsuba crabs produced in Tottori for its size, weight, and shape. Its taste is light yet sweet and elegant. It has five requirements: a shell size of 13.5 cm or more, weight of 1.2 kg or more, well-formed and packed with meat, all legs in place, and vivid coloring. The average weight of a Matsuba crab is about 600 grams, so Itsukiboshi is more than double that! It is a high-class crab that is highly valued and sold at auctions in the millions.

"ryokan Ohashi" is a onsen ryokan located in Misasa onsen, about 30 minutes by car from JR Kurayoshi Station. Since its establishment in 1933, ryokan, which has been built for approximately 120 meters across the Mitoku River, is truly the essence of Japanese architecture. The ``main building, annex, west annex, large hall, and Taikobashi'' are national tangible cultural properties. Enjoy the highest quality Matsuba crab from the Sea of Japan at a stately inn.

The recommendation for fall and winter is, of course, Matsuba crab! You can enjoy Matsuba crab in all sorts of dishes, including crab sashimi, crab shabu, and grilled crab. The crab miso is also sweet and plentiful. You can fully enjoy the king of crabs, Matsuba crab. There are also grilled Wagyu beef from Tottori and local fish caught in nearby waters, so you can enjoy the flavors of the San'in region.

This onsen has its own source. It is a valuable onsen with 3 of the 5 in-house hot springs gushing out naturally. The famous Gankutsu no Yu is a thorium spring (containing radon 220) and radium spring (containing radon 222). Soak in a luxurious open-air bath made from the source that originally gushed out from the Mitokugawa River.

Yukibo Hakusen is a long-established ryokan that has been in business for over 60 years and is located in onsen Onsen, about a 15-minute drive from JR Yonago Station. All rooms have an ocean view, and some have a Jacuzzi bath with a panoramic view or an open-air bath. Enjoy the beautiful skin bath and Matsuba crab while admiring the spectacular view of the Sea of Japan!

The recommended Matsuba crab for autumn and winter is a brand crab with a tag that indicates the fishing port where it was landed. Enjoy fresh Matsuba crab from the Sea of Japan to your heart's content as grilled crab, boiled crab, or crab sukiyaki. For an additional fee, you can also guarantee in-room dining (private dining), so you can take your time and eat everything. Please check with your accommodation in advance.

onsen is onsen that wells up from the sea of the Sea of Japan. Hot water for beautiful skin that contains a lot of salt and minerals and has a natural thalassotherapy effect. There is also an aroma steam sauna in the women's large public bath, so you can completely relax from the inside out.

Shimane can be reached from Tokyo by plane in as little as one hour and a half. Bottom trawl fishing is the mainstream method of crab fishing, but Shimane has its own crab fishing method, "crab pot fishing," which allows the crabs to be landed clean without being damaged. The "matsuba crab" that is caught in the fall and winter is famous for its high quality.

"Oki Matsuba crab" is a pine needle crab caught in the waters near the Oki Islands. Shimane Because it is caught by "crab basket fishing", which is a unique fishing method, the crab is stress-free and tastes good, and the freshness and shape are wonderful. The "Oki Matsuba crab", which weighs more than 500g, has a blue tag and is a luxury brand crab from Shimane. The flesh is superb in both sweetness and elasticity.

onsen is a onsen inn located in Tamatsukuri Onsen, about 10 minutes by car from JR onsen Onsen Station. A long-established ryokan with over 300 years of history. The inside of the building is decorated with seasonal flowers and is very gorgeous. Women can borrow colored yukata for free, so how about taking a walk in onsen town?

The recommendation for autumn and winter is the crab course that uses plenty of Rikiji Matsuba. You can thoroughly enjoy the sweet meat and crab miso. Fill your stomach with freshly prepared crab dishes in the open kitchen meal area.

This onsen is a weakly alkaline natural onsen with beautiful skin. There are two large public baths, and the large public bath "Orihime" is made entirely of cypress, even the bottom of the bath. “Hikoboshi” has a black granite bath. Put it in both by switching men and women. You can enjoy the moist feeling of your skin after getting out of the bath.

"ryokan Nushiya" is a onsen onsen ryokan located in Arifuku Onsen, about 20 minutes by car from JR Gotsu Station. This is a long-established ryokan that has been in business for about 250 years, and has a total of 9 rooms, including Japanese and Western rooms, as well as detached houses that were moved from old folk houses, all located on a 3,000 tsubo site. Enjoy Matsuba crab at onsen called ``San'in Ikaho'' due to its tranquil atmosphere.

Recommended for fall and winter is the specially selected Matsuba crab from the Sea of Japan. If you grill the flaky crab meat and eat it with rich crab miso, your mouth will be full of crabs♡ In addition to boiled crabs and crab sukiyaki, you can also enjoy plenty of local seafood such as the local fish "Nodoguro".

onsen is famous as a hot spring for beauty. The colorless and odorless simple alkaline hot spring is one of the best hot springs in Japan. There are a large public bath, an open-air bath, and two private open-air baths, filled with natural onsen that have continued to flow for 1,300 years. Let's relax and heal the fatigue of the whole body.

Saga can be reached in as little as two hours by plane from Haneda, Tokyo. It may be difficult to imagine "Kani from Kyushu," but there is a type of blue crab called "Takezaki crab." Takezaki crab can be caught all year round, but it tastes best in the fall and winter. Let's enjoy crab in Kyushu♪

"Takezaki crab" is a type of crab caught mainly off the coast of Takezaki, Tara Town Saga. Takezaki crabs grow up eating nutritious food in the Ariake Sea. The larger ones are over 25 cm long, and are characterized by their sweet meat and rich crab roe. The peak season for "Takezaki crab" differs between males and females, with the sweetness of males with rich crab roe being stronger in summer, and females that have stored up nutrients before spawning being sweeter in winter.

Kaijokan is approximately 5 minutes by car from JR Hizen-Oura Station. This is an inn with an outstanding view of the Ariake Sea. There are guest rooms with open-air baths with spectacular views of the ocean, and regular guest rooms with ocean views, in an environment rich in nature surrounded by the Ariake Sea and Mt. Taradake. Enjoy Takezaki crab from the Ariake Sea to your heart's content.

It is a seasonal seafood kaiseki course centered on "Takezaki crab". The menu includes boiled crab, grilled crab, crab sashimi, crab tempura, and fried crab. The owner of the inn was originally a seafood broker, so the really delicious Takezaki crab is carefully selected.

Both the indoor and outdoor hot onsen have ocean views. You can enjoy a relaxing view of the Ariake Sea right in front of you. If you value privacy, we recommend the six guest rooms with open-air baths on the second floor. From the open-air bath on the terrace, you can experience a spectacular view of only the sea and sky.

Even if you just say crab, the taste is completely different depending on the type, production area, and season. Crabs from the Sea of Japan are juicy and juicy as they emerge from the cold water. Why don't you enjoy the delicious crab gourmet along with the gentle feeling of traveling in western Japan in autumn and winter?