Found in the fertile Ariake Sea, the Takezaki crab is the local specialty of Saga Prefecture’s town of Tara, known for its rich flavor available year round.
The Takezaki tourism hotel found here in Tara is “Umezakitei,” a fisherman’s inn. It is a special inn where you can enjoy crab cuisine including crab sashimi, which is rare even for Tara.
Today we’re presenting an irresistible inn for crab lovers!
A crab to welcome you at the station
This is a sign found at Hizen Oura Station, on the JR Nagasaki Main Line. This bright red crab is the “Takezaki Crab,” the local specialty of tara!
The town of Tara, located in the south of Saga Prefecture, faces out to the Ariake Sea and is called the “town that can see the pull of the moon,” due to the 6-meter difference in sea level between low and high tide. Because of this, there is an abundance of plankton for the crabs to feed on. Grown in such a nutrient-rich environment, these crabs have a truly exquisite taste!
Enjoy as much crab as you want!
Voila! Pictured is their delicious cuisine made from Takezaki crab.
Fried crab, grilled crab, crab dumplings, crab chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard dish), stir-fried crab, steamed crab… truly crabs galore!
You can enjoy this wide variety of crab dishes at Umezakitei, only 5 minutes away by car from the train station. The dish pictured to the center right is the crab sashimi (raw crab). Even here in the home of Takezaki crab, it is hard to find a place where you can have it sashimi-style! Only a fisherman’s inn can provide the freshness required for such a dish.
The fried crab is fried with its shell, and the crunchy exterior is a great source of calcium! The sashimi is crisp like that of a Japanese spiny lobster. Crab lovers won’t be able to resist this delicious sweet taste, only available in the home of Takezaki crab!
The crab's condensed flavor!
Out of all these dishes, the one that lets you enjoy the crab’s natural flavor is the steamed crab! In order to not let any of its flavor escape, the crab is steamed whole and is loaded with meat! The delicious taste of the crab’s innards and eggs will not disappoint you!
Takezaki crabs are a type of blue crab with a diamond shape, and can reach sizes of about 30 cm. From summer into fall the male crabs are delicious, with the females and their eggs most delicious during the winter, making these delicious crabs available almost year-round!
The crabmeat gives you the sweetness of the crabs with every bite, while the irresistible innards and eggs almost melt in your mouth. The best way to end a nice steamed crab is with “shell sake,” where you drink sake from the crab shell! You should try this with hot sake, which lets you enjoy the crab flavor more and warms your body. If you come by, be sure to pour yourself a shell-full of hot sake!
Crab onsen
Pictured is the inn’s public bath “Kani no Yu” (crab bath). The spring flows from 1300 meters below ground, and it is a colorless, clear, simple hot spring. The water is nice and smooth to the touch, leaving you refreshed after you leave.
They also allow non-guests to use their hot spring. It’s absolutely amazing to warm your body in this nice onsen (hot spring) after enjoying some delicious crab.
Final thoughts
Tara is also famous for their Takezaki oysters. Their oyster season is from mid October until April. Along National Highway 207, which faces the Ariake Sea, you can find 15 or so oyster shops, known as the “Tara Grilled Oyster Sea Path,” where you can enjoy reasonably priced grilled oysters. Of course, fresh oysters are also available at the aforementioned Umezakitei as well!
Shops that are open year-round provide delicious crab dishes like grilled crab as well. The delicious, local Takezaki crab you can have here is on a different level with its freshness and taste. Be sure to try some of this splendid crab here in Tara!
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