Matsue Kaniichi

A seasonal restaurant in Matsue that opens each winter for the matsuba crab season, roughly November through March, when snow crab is pulled from the cold Sea of Japan waters nearby. The menu keeps it focused: crab served boiled, grilled, as sashimi, or in hot pot, letting the sweet and delicate meat speak for itself. The casual, no-frills setting near the Matsue waterfront draws loyal locals who wait all year for the season. Pairing a crab meal with a visit to nearby Matsue Castle and the surrounding samurai district makes for a good San'in winter day.