To coincide with the first landing of the snow crab (Matsuba crab) season, which opens on November 6, Amanohashidate-so (天橋立荘) in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, serves a full-course meal of live Matsuba crab. Reservations are now open, and the meal is available until mid-March 2027 on an overnight stay or as a day trip.
The inn belongs to the group of 株式会社丹友商事 and draws on the group's purchasing power for its Matsuba crab dishes.
Kept Alive and Prepared at Mealtime
The Matsuba crab is bought at the auction every morning and kept alive in a large tank held at a low temperature. It is prepared just before each guest's mealtime. The meat of the crab sashimi opens like a flower, which is possible only with fresh live crab, and the inn says its sweetness and texture differ from those of frozen crab.
A Matsuba Crab Full-Course Meal
Amanohashidate-so serves a full-course meal of Matsuba crab. The head chef prepares fine Matsuba crab from the Sea of Japan. The meal centers on crab sashimi with a sweet, melting texture, fragrant grilled crab cooked over a binchotan charcoal shichirin (a small charcoal stove), and a hot pot made with carefully prepared stock, for a happy time with someone special.
Menu
Aperitif, hassun (assorted appetizers), sashimi (crab sashimi and fresh fish), crab miso grilled in the shell, grilled crab (charcoal-grilled), crab sukiyaki hot pot
Boiled crab, crab tempura, chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard), crab zosui (rice porridge), pickles, dessert
The sashimi that blossoms vividly is a sign of freshness. Because it is prepared to match each guest's mealtime, the crab stays alive until just beforehand. Real wasabi, which guests grate themselves, is used.
The meat of live crab is in a different class from frozen crab. Guests can enjoy the original taste of the crab, creamy and sweet.
The crab is cooked slowly over binchotan charcoal, which gives it a flavor unlike gas-grilled crab. The far-infrared heat brings out as much umami as possible.
Guests can eat the sashimi with a little of the rich crab miso.
The su-gani (crab with vinegar) is seasoned with just the right amount of salt, which whets the appetite. The vinegar is made with care and finished so mellow that it could be drunk, and lets guests enjoy the original flavor of the crab.
The crab hot pot, which warms guests to the core, is made with a secret-recipe stock. Plenty of crab shells, which yield a rich stock, are used.
A zosui (rice porridge) that warms body and soul to finish the hot pot. Local rice and local eggs are used.
Matsuba Crab From a Local Port
The inn sources high-quality Matsuba crab from a local fishing port on the Sea of Japan.
Care for the Ingredients
The Matsuba crab is kept alive in a large tank held at a low temperature, so it stays fresh and guests can enjoy its plump meat.
The sashimi has a plump, springy texture and blossoms with freshness.
The cooking also uses techniques to bring out the appeal of Matsuba crab.
- Grilled crab: cooked in a binchotan charcoal shichirin that brings out the aroma
- Hot pot soup: a secret-recipe stock carefully made from Matsuba crab shells
- Boiled crab: cooked at a water temperature, salinity, and time that do not harm the umami of Matsuba crab
- Ponzu and soy sauce: aged and made in-house
Occasions
The meal suits a happy time with someone special. It can be used for various occasions, such as family trips, wedding anniversaries, birthdays, retirement celebrations, and day trips.
Message From the Head Chef
Onishi (大西), the head chef of Amanohashidate-so, says he has made it his purpose in life as a Japanese-cuisine chef to serve carefully prepared dishes to guests. The Matsuba crab full course is one of his proudest dishes, and he is preparing Sea of Japan Matsuba crab, now that the fishing season has opened, with all his skill.
Amanohashidate-so (天橋立荘)
- Address: 584 Monju Akaiwa, Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture 626-0001 (京都府宮津市文珠赤岩584)
- Access: About 3 minutes by car from Amanohashidate Station (天橋立駅) on the Kyoto Tango Railway (京都丹後鉄道); about 10 minutes by car from Yosa-Amanohashidate IC (与謝天橋立IC) on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway (京都縦貫自動車道)
- Services: Meals (overnight stays and day trips available), hot spring
- Official website: https://kyoto.iifuro.jp/
- Notes: Rates vary by date of stay and number of guests. Please check the reservation page for the latest rates and availability.
