Five million yen for a big crab from Tottori? Why that’s not a crazy price

Jason BallByJason Ball

The media has had fun with the story of a crab which sold for five million yen ($46,000 USD).

They implied it was a massive waste of money and a sign of Japan’s eccentricity with food.

Look deeper into the issue, though, and you can find solid business reasons why somebody paid so much money the giant crustacean. 

In this week’s Japan Story blog, we hear why a high price for a special crab makes sense in the context of Japan’s rural economy. 

Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.