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© KYODOJapanese snow crab fetches ¥800,000 at auction
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© KYODO
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Good
Purchaser has 8 kids.
itsonlyrocknroll
Never had the pleasure of tasted one.
I guess at ¥800,000, the majority of Japans population are in the same boat.
Just save the photo and dribble.
Peter Neil
I used to know someone who actually believed the news that people paid these amounts for melons, tuna and snow crab, etc.
diagonalslip
what happened to the other 167,433 'uncertified' crabs.... and do they taste any different?
Gaijinjland
I could care less about the symmetrical appearance of a crab. Do the ugly asymmetrical crabs taste any different? So 800,000 yen for the whole crab.... So to turn a profit does that mean one crab claw is 120,000 yen??? Crazy. No thank you.
Fighto!
You do realize ¥800,000 is not the regular price, right?
Its a novelty auction used to promote the winners restaurant.
Peter Neil
It was always fun going to Sapporo to spend 3 hours picking at tiny little crabs at a 食べ放題 (tabehodai) with a toothpick, hoping to accumulate a full gram of crabmeat.
dbsaiya
Right, so during the pandemic you had restricted hours and a decrease in business, more than likely putting you in the red, but instead of thinking of your employees' salary you splurge on one crab.
Gobshite
Yep, more silliness in Japan. I went to an apple orchard once, box of perfect apples individually wrapped in protective jackets, very expensive. A bag of apples from the same tree that dared to fall to the ground and get dented....fraction of the price. People need to understand there is poverty in places......
3-2-1 .... but, but cultchaaaaaa
I could care less about the symmetrical appearance of a crab. Do the ugly asymmetrical crabs taste any different?
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
Ridiculous !
Hard to hold yer head high when you paid that much for a snow crab !
Think about the people starving in the world.
shogun36
Looks like a glorified Anko Bread.
Good buy there, Toshiaki.
Now pay your employees!
ShinkansenCaboose
I hope they don’t over boil it.
justasking
Ridiculous traditions will die.
Kumagaijin
Imagine eating this crab with a side of Matsutake mushrooms and ¥3 million yen bluefin tuna. ¥2.7 million yen Yubari melons for desert. Just imagine!
Whereisthebeer?
and of course you know the exact payroll of the restaurant and the financial condition of the restaurant, and the number of employees the restaurant has. If the business was in the red, do you think he would be spending 800,000, which is his money, on a crap?
bass4funk
Only the rich or even richer Chinese tourists will buy the crab for that price. No other sane person will outright buy it or are they saying that slapping an 8 million yen price tag will make the crab taste better? Seriously?
bass4funk
Just a waste IMHO
bass4funk
Exactly, he can waste his money anyway he wants, I don’t care, I find it stupid, I wouldn’t not for one crab. Lol
bass4funk
Yeah, I would buy none of that as well, but if you give it to me, of course I’m going to take it!!
SJ
The article does not mention the weight of the crab, but in S. Korea, the price of big (1 kg in weight) snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) at the local market is about USD 100. http://illdung.com/product/%EB%B0%95%EB%8B%AC%EB%8C%80%EA%B2%8C-%EC%98%81%EB%8D%95-%EC%A0%95%ED%92%88-1k%EA%B8%89-%EB%A7%88%EB%A6%AC%EB%8B%B9-115000%EC%9B%90/71/
Live snow crabs imported from Russia are even cheaper.
In_japan
LMAFO!!!! brilliant
Desert Tortoise
Roughly $8,000 for a crab so you can put it in your restaurant aquarium for bragging rights. Wow.
dagon
The successful bidder, a local restaurant owner, said he purchased the crab so he could welcome customers with his "head held high."
Crabs in a bucket- A metaphor for our late stage capitalist society.
itsonlyrocknroll
Fighto!, yes thank you, I am/was being sarcastic, the lowest form of wit
BrainGuyJapan
Correct! Big plus for the winner to get promote in every TV channels. TV remains the world’s most effective advertising.
Erik Morales
As it should. It is worth every penny!
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
A very expensive purchase given for tax rite off purposes .
That would make it seem less ridiculous.
OssanAmerica
Big PR show plus tax write off. No need to be google eyed at these prices.
BackpackingNepal
Come on guys, it's not for you. It's for those people who can 'head held high'.
BackpackingNepal
Just look at the photo again. Buyer has regretful face expression.
snowymountainhell
Delicious! Fukui has some of the best seafood, fished daily from the large body of water to their west.
Brian Wheway
More money than sense, this is just one big show off, if it makes him think that I am the king of crabs etc, somepeople might think, well if hes got all that money just for one crab, he must be ripping us off with high prices to buy that crab, so they get annoyed with him and not go to his restaurants.
John Noun
More like smugness
Tomi
It was 5 million yen and not 800,000.
englisc aspyrgend
Ridiculous.
Mark
Crab.
Mark
This is how the food industry ropes the Japanese public, taking pride in paying more for things while 1/4 of the population sleeps hungry. what a shame.
Mark
My father in law likes Crabs and buy's them at the local sea food market for a bout 3,000 JPY.
BeerDeliveryGuy
Snow crab or Tarabagani usually go for about 10,000 each.
This, and the million dollar tuna at the New Years auction are publicity stunts to advertise the buyer’s restaurant.
YuriOtani
How much will the last one sell for? Then will they cook it into extinction?
DrTOM1957
It's a marketing gimmick. I hope the publicity for purchasing the crab increases sales at his restaurant. Still over $7000 for one crab, jeez.
snowymountainhell
While it is ‘advertising’& ‘showmanship’ @Mark 9:21 reminds us of us ‘reality’ for a large percentage of Japanese people’s DAILY lives:
A matching donation of ¥800,000 to food charities would also be great ‘advertising’. Let’s look for the big “tuna guy” when his turn comes next ?
Mickelicious
Never mind the shrimps, honey, I'm bringing home the crabs!
kenshin_u
That price was paid only at the first auction to celebrate another successful year of snow crab.
It is true that there is a sense of performance, but it is originally a fishing port tradition to wish for a successful snow crab market for the year.
It is similar to the way the stock market celebrates the first day of the year.
kenshin_u
This is the Japanese culture of money offering and congratulation.
snowymountainhell
Agreed @Mark 9:21pm. ‘Shameful’ the sad state of affairs for Japan’s “working-poor” & hungry?