Kasumi Crab Sells for 300,000 Yen at Season's First Auction

Sep 05, 2026 | News On Japan

HYOGO - The autumn red snow crab season has opened on the Sea of Japan coast, with the first auction at Kasumi Fishing Port in Kami, Hyogo Prefecture, recording a top price of 300,000 yen for a single crab on September 4.

Fishing for red snow crab began on September 1, and eight small fishing vessels returned to Kasumi Fishing Port with their catches on September 3, unloading crabs one after another.

Kasumi is the only port in the Kinki region where red snow crab is landed, and the local catch is marketed under the premium Kasumi Crab brand.

The season's first auction began at 6 a.m. on September 4, with wholesalers competing for the newly landed crabs.

Around 19 tons were landed for the opening auction, about 10% more than last year, while the highest-priced crab sold for 300,000 yen.

Yoshitaka Fukumoto, chairman of the Hyogo Prefecture Crab Pot Association, said the opening catch was encouraging. "The amount landed on the first day was about 10% higher than last year. They are delicious crabs, so I hope everyone will enjoy eating them," he said.

The red snow crab fishing season will continue through the end of May 2027.

Source: YOMIURI

H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

Okinawa Braces for Powerful Typhoon No. 30

Typhoon No. 30, a large and extremely powerful storm currently east of the Philippines, is expected to approach Okinawa from October 22, bringing the threat of violent winds, waves reaching 10 meters and widespread heavy rain, according to a forecast updated at 10 p.m. on October 19.

Japan Introduces Personalized Motorcycle License Plates

Motorcycle owners across Japan can now choose their preferred license plate numbers under a new system introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 19th, with popular numbers allocated by lottery and applications costing between 2,500 and 3,000 yen.

Nearly 30% of Large Japanese Companies Report Data Leaks

Nearly one in three large companies in Japan have experienced a data leak or a suspected breach, according to a survey released by Teikoku Databank on October 19th, highlighting growing concerns over corporate information security as unauthorized access incidents continue to affect businesses across the country.

Yokohama Elects New Mayor After Power Harassment Controversy

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Food NEWS

Stricter Visa Rules Threaten Foreign-Owned Restaurants in Japan

Foreign business owners in Japan are facing growing financial pressure following a sharp increase in the capital required to obtain a business management visa, with an Indian curry restaurant in Shizuoka warning that it may be forced to close unless its sales quadruple.

Move Over Matcha: Purple Ube Becomes Global Sensation

A vibrant purple ingredient from the Philippines is gaining popularity around the world, with ube, a type of yam known for its mild sweetness and striking color, emerging as a potential successor to matcha in the global dessert market.

Highly Poisonous Mushrooms Spread Across Mount Takao

Highly poisonous mushrooms capable of causing severe skin damage through contact and even death if eaten are appearing in large numbers on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, raising concerns for hikers and families as unusually hot summer weather and prolonged autumn rainfall have created ideal conditions for fungal growth.

Nagoya's 1.5-Kilogram Noodle Challenge

A long-established noodle shop in Nagoya has become known for extraordinarily large servings, including its signature "Pitcher Koro," a 1.5-kilogram dish combining kishimen, soba and udon in a giant pitcher.

Taste of Hida Draws Food Lovers to Takayama

The Hida Taste Festival, a long-running event that began in 1986, is held twice a year in spring and autumn and has become a popular attraction in Takayama. This autumn's festival features 22 vendors offering a wide variety of regional dishes, including grilled Hida beef skewers, mitarashi dango rice dumplings coated in a savory soy-based sauce, and salt-grilled ayu sweetfish.

Japan's Salmon Farming Industry Moves Inland

A massive land-based Atlantic salmon farming facility is taking shape in a mountainous industrial district of Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, where foreign-owned Pure Salmon Japan has begun raising approximately one million young fish as part of an 80 billion yen project that is expected to become one of the world's largest operations of its kind, with plans to ship 10,000 tons of salmon annually from February 2028.

Lettuce Prices Quadruple as Farmers Warn of Winter Shortages

Prices of leafy vegetables are rising sharply across Japan as prolonged rainfall and reduced sunlight in September damage crops and disrupt harvesting, with farmers warning that shortages could continue into winter and push prices even higher during the peak season for hot pot dishes.

Heavy Rain Sends Vegetable Prices Soaring

Prolonged rainfall in Tokyo lasting more than 20 days, combined with heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 during the Silver Week holidays, has disrupted vegetable supplies and driven up prices, with some retailers facing the possibility of suspending sales of popular seasonal products such as roasted sweet potatoes.

< 2 3 4 5 >