Matsuba Crab — Winter's King of the Sea

**Top crab restaurants:** Kanetomi (かに富, Tottori City) is the local favorite — a no-frills crab specialist serving whole boiled matsuba crab from ¥5,500 and crab kaiseki courses from ¥12,000. The matsuba crab is tagged with origin certificates showing which boat caught it. Reservations essential on weekends. Another option: Maruzen Suisan (丸善水産, Sakaiminato) operates a fisherman-direct restaurant at the port, offering the lowest prices (whole crab from ¥4,000) but with minimal atmosphere. **Crab grading system:** Matsuba crabs are graded by size and quality. 'Toku-sen' (premium grade) crabs weigh 1.2+ kg and feature thick leg meat and abundant miso. 'Jo' (standard) grade (0.8–1.2kg) offers excellent value. The ultra-premium 'Gottsuo Matsuba' label (五つ星, five-star) is applied to less than 1% of the catch — crabs weighing 1.5+ kg with perfect shells. Expect to pay ¥20,000+ for a whole five-star crab, but the difference in sweetness and texture is perceptible. **How to eat boiled crab:** Use the provided crab crackers and picks methodically. Start with the legs (easiest, most meat), then tackle the body (miso and roe), finally the shoulders (most flavorful, hardest to extract). The green-brown miso inside the shell is prized — mix it with a little sake to create a dipping sauce for the leg meat. Eating a whole crab takes 40–60 minutes. **Market shopping:** Visit Tottori Port Market (鳥取港海鮮市場, open 8:00–17:00) to see live matsuba crabs in tanks and purchase directly from vendors. Prices: ¥3,000–8,000 per crab depending on size. The market will boil your crab on-site (¥500) and pack it for travel. Many hotels can steam purchased crabs if requested in advance. **Off-season alternative:** Female snow crabs (oyagani, 親蟹) are available January–March at lower prices (¥2,000–3,500). They're smaller with less leg meat but abundant roe (internal and external). Local preparation: miso soup with oyagani — the roe enriches the broth with oceanic depth.