Snow, Onsen and Crab!

rbjhan · 2025-03-15T17:27:18+1100

Finally reached the ropeway station!
Next to it was the entrance to Onsen-ji.
Don't be fooled though, the actual temple was half way up the mountain

I certainly do not recommend hiking, especially in this weather.

Now it's the time to mention I have acrophobia....

So I was not exactly thrilled to ride the ropeway!

For some reason the way going up I was the only guest (coming down it was so full) ! Luckily there's also a staff member riding it, so I chatted to him to distract myself

He recommended the cafe on top, saying that there's an outdoor terrace with great views...

7 minutes later....

Right it's all worth it.

Sea of Japan in the distance

Then I went to the cafe.
Yeah okay coffee was terrible as expected

But you paid for the view!

PS people keep saying coffee here is expensive. But hey at least it's good coffee! In Japan you pay 700 Yen for dirty water

rbjhan · 2025-03-15T22:58:38+1100

Feeling a bit hungry and didn't want to try food from that cafe....
I went back to town centre.

In case anyone's curious about the crab...oh yeah they are not cheap!

Saw this shop selling local Tajima beef

Another small place attached to a fishmonger, selling made-to-order onigiri.
I had one crab miso and one Mentaiko

Those were HUGE!
Definitely skipping lunch after this

rbjhan · 2025-03-16T18:42:43+1100

The next destination is Taiza.
Well this needs a bit of explanation....

So winter is snow crab season all over Japan. It's caught in Sea of Japan and also in Hokkaido. Hokuriku and San'in region are most famous for it though.
There are strict regulations regarding fishing period, capacities, crab sizes, etc.

The snow crabs are the same species (Chionoecetes opilio) but depending on where they are caught, they have different names and prices.
Tags of different colours are put on the crabs to identify origin, and these have become a symbol of quality. Tagged crabs are expensive as shown in picture above. Blue tags are from nearby Tsuiyama.

So what's so special about Taiza crab?
It's because the trawling grounds are deeper than most but closer to the shore. So boats can return to port on the same day. There are only 5 boats allowed to fish here so the catch is small.
The freshness and small quantity make Taiza crab extra special and it's often called phantom crabs.

Very little of Taiza crabs make their way to Kyoto or Tokyo.
To maximise the freshness, eating the crab at a local ryokan is recommended.
The most famous ryokan in Taiza is Sumihei, but hmmmm I don't have that kind of budget!