Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen and Go On a Trip to Eat All Kinds of Exquisite Crabs!

Toyama Bay is one of the deepest bays in Japan, with a depth of more than 1,200 meters. The bay has a number of valleys, which provide the perfect habitat for fish. Red snow crabs can be caught at depths of around 1,000 meters, and Toyama Bay is the only bay in Japan where red snow crabs can be caught. There are fishing grounds nearby, and freshly caught red snow crabs are sold at the market.

Various efforts are made to maintain the freshness of red snow crab. For example, restaurants place red snow crabs in fish tanks or boil them immediately after purchasing them to preserve their deliciousness.

The key to distinguishing red snow crabs that are meaty is that the shell is hard and the pincers are wide. This is a sign of maturity. Red snow crabs live in areas where the water temperature is below 1℃ and there is little food. They molt many times during their growth, taking more than nine years to reach a size where they can be caught.

For this reason, Toyama also actively engages in the protection of marine resources. The "crab pot fishing method" was invented by Uozu fishermen in the 1960s and later spread throughout Japan. The fishing season for red snow crabs is from September to May, with peak catches occurring from November to December.

Shinminato also holds "lunchtime auctions" of the crabs and other food culture initiatives, such as promoting the branding of "Koshi no Akagani" (red crab of Koshi) and offering it in school lunches.

This article will introduce spots where you can eat delicious crab in Toyama, and which can be accessed by public transportation from the Hokuriku Shinkansen, as well as the nearest Shinkansen station!

 

The key to distinguishing red snow crabs that are meaty is that the shell is hard and the pincers are wide. This is a sign of maturity. Red snow crabs live in areas where the water temperature is below 1℃ and there is little food. They molt many times during their growth, taking more than nine years to reach a size where they can be caught.

For this reason, Toyama also actively engages in the protection of marine resources. The "crab pot fishing method" was invented by Uozu fishermen in the 1960s and later spread throughout Japan. The fishing season for red snow crabs is from September to May, with peak catches occurring from November to December.

Shinminato also holds "lunchtime auctions" of the crabs and other food culture initiatives, such as promoting the branding of "Koshi no Akagani" (red crab of Koshi) and offering it in school lunches.

This article will introduce spots where you can eat delicious crab in Toyama, and which can be accessed by public transportation from the Hokuriku Shinkansen, as well as the nearest Shinkansen station!

 

Directly managed by a fish shop. A diner near the station with a lineup of Toyama fish!


Located in the commercial facility "MAROOT" in front of Toyama Station, "Toyamawan Shokudo" (Toyama Bay Diner) serves seafood from the fresh fish shop "Uohiro" next door, in Toyama-style dishes such as seafood rice bowls and sushi. During the red snow crab season, a corner of the fresh fish store is piled with boiled crabs. All of the seafood displayed at the store can be eaten in the restaurant, and for a cooking fee, you can have the crab split into easy-to-eat pieces or even peeled open. You can also enjoy sashimi, sushi, and side dishes. Because it's right next to Toyama Station, you can enjoy Toyama's seafood until just before the train departs.


 

●Transportation access
Exit through the South Gate of "Toyama Station" on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and you will see the commercial facility "MAROOT" on the right
 

●Boil freshly caught red snow crab in a large pot

Located on the premises of the "Shinminato Kittokito Market," "Umimiya Restaurant" boasts seafood dishes featuring fresh seafood that the head chef has carefully selected. From September to May, when red snow crab dishes are popular, the restaurant starts boiling freshly purchased red snow crab in a cauldron outside the restaurant around 1:00 pm on days when the noontime auction is held (except Sundays, Wednesdays, and year-end to New Year holidays).

For this reason, many people visit around 1:30 pm to try the "boiled crab,'' which is known for its sweet crab meat and rich miso sauce. Until April, the restaurant also offers “Kani Tsukushi Gozen,” a crab set meal that includes hotpot, tempura, chirashi sushi rice bowl, and vinegared dishes that are all made with red snow crab.
 

●Transportation access
From “Toyama Station” on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, take the Toyama Buri Kani bus and get off at “Shinminato Kittokito Ichiba.”
From "Shin-Takaoka Station" on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, take the Imizu City tour bus and get off at “Shinminato Kittokito Ichiba.”
From "Takaoka Station" on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway, take the Manyo Line and get off at "Higashi-Shimminato Station," then walk for about 10 minutes.
 

You can enjoy a variety of rice bowls with crab soup

"Sakana no Eki Ikuji'' (Fish Station Ikuji), which is right next to the Kurobe Fishing Port, is a facility directly managed by the Kurobe Fisheries Cooperative. At the "Koukaito'' restaurant in Dekitatekan, you can enjoy sashimi and seafood rice bowls made with the freshest seafood. From fall to spring, one of the recommended dishes is "Kani-don” (crab rice bowl), which is topped with a generous portion of minced red snow crab. Each type of rice bowl comes with a red snow crab miso soup. On weekends, crabs are sold by the crew of the Ebisumaru, the only ship in Kurobe that fishes for crabs. The red snow crab, which has a wide shell and is filled with a lot of meat, has a unique tag that indicates that it is a first-class product.
 

●Transportation access
From "Kurobe-Unazukionsen Station" on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, take the local bus Shinkansen Ikuji Line and get off at “Sakana no Eki Ikuji”
*On weekends and holidays, a taxi will take you to and from the station instead of the bus (reservations must be made at least 1 hour before the departure time of the bus)
 

The birthplace of crab basket fishing, which boasts an abundant catch

At "Kikenjo Seafood Restaurant'' located in "Umi no Eki Shinkirou” (Sea Station Mirage), you can enjoy your meal while looking out at Toyama Bay from the large windows facing the sea. The restaurant boasts dishes using seafood caught at the Uozu Fishing Port. The "Kani-don” (crab rice bowl) is topped with salt-boiled red snow crab pincer and leg meat, as well as crab miso, creating a dish that lets you fully enjoy the delicious taste of red snow crab in a single bowl.

The specialty dish "Kikenjo-don,” which uses more than 10 kinds of fresh seafood from Uozu, is also popular and shows the abundance of fish species in Toyama Bay, which is also known as a “natural fish tank.” The restaurant also has a fresh fish corner that sells sashimi made with freshly caught seafood.
*Red snow crabs are in short supply because boats do not go out to fish on days when there is strong wind at sea. Please make a reservation before coming to the restaurant, as some items may be sold out.
 

●Transportation access
From "Toyama Station" on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, take the Ainokaze Toyama Railway and get off at "Uozu Station," then take the Uozu City Bus (eastbound on the city loop route) and get off at "Umi no Eki Shinkiro." Alternatively, it takes about 10 minutes using the Uozu City rental bicycle "Mirage Cycle Mirakuru'' from the Tourist Information Center in front of Uozu Station.

From "Kurobe-Unazukionsen Station" on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, take the Toyama Chiho Railway and get off at "Dentetsu-Uozu Station," then take the Uozu City Bus (westbound on the city loop route) and get off at "Umi no Eki Shinkiro."
 

If you're planning on going to Toyama Prefecture for red snow crab, the "JR EAST Dynamic Rail Pack" is convenient. You can make a reservation for "shinkansen + accommodation" online!

*This feature is in collaboration with travel products from JR EAST VIEW TOURISM AND SALES COMPANY LIMITED.