1.3 Million Yen for a Snow Crab?!

What say you to 1.3 million yen for a snow crab? You can  buy thousands of the tenderest slices of beef for that amount of money.

Believe you me, this year's first auction of snow crabs at the port of Tottori November 7 marked the highest bid ever of Zuwai-gani or snow crab at 1.3 million yen. It's the best quality shell called Itsukiboshi.

This year's snow crab fishing opened on November 6 and five trawl net fishing boats operating in the fishing grounds offshore Okinoshima brought home their catches at dawn, November 7.

Governor Hirai of Tottori said in his address at the auction:

"Our prefecture Tottori wants to have more people come visit Tottori to taste the delicacy."

Tottori coined last year a new brand name "Itsukiboshi" for the best choice of Matsuba crab in shape and weight.

In the opening auction, an Itsukiboshi with a shell 14.5 centimeters in width weighing 1.3 kilograms was auctioned. The gorgeous shell called for 1.3 million  yen - nearly twice in the price of last year's choice at 700 thousand.

President Shunsuke Nakamura of Tottori's marine products wholesaler won the bid and commented after the auction:
"We will make sure to put it to the best use for the promotion of Tottori."

The company plans to exhibit the 1.3 million  yen snow crab at the Kakikko Kan or crab pavilion in Tottori City starting November 9.

Again,  you can even buy a mini automobile for 1.3 million yen. I can't help wondering why on earth a shell of crab can cost that much. Personally, I'm allergic to crabs and there's no point in even wondering. But I say it again: Why 1.3 million yen for a petty shell of Zuwai-gani? (Nathan Shiga)