Recently, we used the “JR West Unlimited Pass,” which gives you unlimited rides on JR West lines for three days, and did a whirlwind tour from Fukuoka through Chugoku, Kansai, and up to the Hokuriku region.
The pass even covers lines up to the Hokuriku area, so we decided—let’s go eat crab in Fukui!
After researching the itinerary, we chose a place called “Raden,” right in front of Fukui Station.
And what we ordered wasn’t the famous Echizen Crab… but rather a Seiko Crab Bowl Set, overflowing with female snow crab.
It was an absolutely delicious meal, packed with crab, and surprisingly affordable (at least compared to Echizen Crab)!
What is Seiko Crab?
While Echizen Crab refers to male snow crabs, Seiko Crab is the term for female snow crabs.
In other areas, they’re sometimes called Sekogani or Kobako Crab.
An Echizen Crab typically costs about 15,000 to 20,000 yen per crab, whereas Seiko Crab is about a third of the size, costing roughly 2,000 to 4,000 yen—making it much more budget-friendly.
↓ In the photo below, the crab on the bottom is likely Echizen, while the one on top is the female Seiko Crab.
今日はがちな越前ガニいただいたのでありがたくいただきます。むちゃおいしそう！この雌もでかいけど雄がハンパない。今日は雄のみいただきます。 pic.twitter.com/7jAVzOJ7Wr
— たっくん＠天然さんかも？ (@Takutora) December 12, 2021
What makes Seiko Crab special is its rich eggs—called uchiko (immature eggs) and sotoko (fully matured eggs about to be laid)—which give it a wonderfully dense flavor and texture that locals in Fukui absolutely love.
But since Seiko Crab season is limited for conservation reasons—from November 6 to the end of December—it’s even harder to come by than Echizen Crab.
(Source:
・Price & taste differences between male and female Echizen Crab | *link broken*
・Seiko Crab | Echizen Kani Narumae)
Our trip happened to line up perfectly with this short Seiko Crab season… so naturally, we had to try it!
Arriving in Fukui — just a one-minute walk to Raden
We took the shinkansen from Hakata to Shin-Osaka with the unlimited pass, then transferred to the limited express Thunderbird to reach Fukui Station.
If you’re at Fukui Station, of course you have to take a picture with the dinosaur statues.
I wanted to visit the Dinosaur Museum and more if we’d had time… next time for sure!
From the west exit with the dinosaurs, it’s just a one-minute walk to the left—Raden is right there.
The seasonal Seiko Crab Bowl Set is 4,800 yen. It’s not exactly cheap—but compared to Echizen Crab, it’s a steal. Reservations required.
(Photo taken November 29, 2021)
We were seated at a counter lined with elegant ceramic ware. There are tables in the back too.
Seiko Crab meat, rich roe, and miso overflowing in this bowl set
Here it is—the Seiko Crab Bowl Set! Those two crab shells piled on top make quite an impact.
It’s absolutely loaded with chunks of Seiko Crab meat, shredded meat, plus the uchiko and sotoko roe on top of rice. What a sight.
We stacked up the shells from two people—four crabs in total. It felt like they were all watching us!
The crab meat is sweet and full of classic crab flavor—so good.
The uchiko mixed with crab miso is intensely savory and is truly the highlight of eating Seiko Crab.
The sotoko gives a fun popping texture. Try dipping it in crab vinegar or eating it together with the meat and uchiko.
The staff suggested pouring the crab vinegar over it, but personally I preferred dipping each bite into the vinegar myself.
If you pour it over everything, the vinegar flavor can get pretty strong (still delicious though). Eating the different parts on their own really lets you savor the pure crab taste.
It’s fun to switch back and forth—sometimes with vinegar, sometimes without.
The rice portion isn’t that big, so it was gone in no time.
I found myself leaving little bits of each part to prolong the farewell.
It was truly delicious. Seiko Crab is the best.
One last note
I’m sure there are many other great crab restaurants in Fukui City and throughout Fukui Prefecture, but if you’re looking for something near Fukui Station, Raden is absolutely the best choice.
Echizen Crab season runs from November 8 to the end of March, while Seiko Crab is only from November 8 to the end of December (it may vary, so check with the restaurant).
If your timing lines up, definitely give it a try!
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