Shanghai crab, a luxury ingredient in Chinese cuisine.

Wouldn't it be a bit exciting to have a type of crab close to Shanghai crab, if not the real thing, close at hand and at a reasonable price?

In fact, such crabs are also available in Niigata!

The name of that crab is river crab!

Incidentally, the official name for river crab is 'mokuzugani' and the official name for Shanghai crab is 'chugoku mokuzugani'.

This will be with you now! (Laughs) So, here are some spots where we had river crabs two years ago!

The place is an inn with a cafeteria deep in the quiet mountains called Uraigotou Sanso in Aga-cho (formerly Mikawamura).

• Uraigotou Villa: http://www.uragozu.jp/

A bowl of river crabs here costs between 500 and 900 yen.

Incidentally, according to an online survey, Shanghai crabs cost more than 4,000 yen a piece in Chinese restaurants in Tokyo!

River crabs are very compact crabs compared to snow crabs and king crabs. The most delicious thing about river crabs is the crabmeat!

Open the shell and there is a lot of rich crabmeat!

The slightest bit of meat is never as good as the sea crabs!

River crabs are in season from October to November.

As of 28 November 2014, I called Uraigotou Sanso and was told that they are no longer offering river crabs this season ... unfortunately.

However! I found river crabs for sale at the fish market of the roadside station 'Aga-no-sato' on national road 49 in Aga town!

He is dark-coloured and his hands are littered with suspicious hairs!

With all due respect to crabs, river crabs don't look delicious on the outside, but when you try them, they are really tasty!

Why not try it when you visit Aga Town in autumn?

Spotlight.

Uraigozu Sanso (Uraigozu Sanso).

• 959-4611 Nakanosawa, Aga-cho, Higashikanbara-gun
• Telephone number 0254-99-2833
• Opening hours 11:00-16:00, subject to seasonal variations.
• Closed Thursdays (open if Thursday is a public holiday)
• http://www.uragozu.jp/

Roadside station 'Aga-no-sato'

• Address: 4301 Ishima, Aga Town, Higashikanbara County.
• web：http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~aga1000d/index.html