Ise-ebi spiny lobster

Toba city, Shima city, Ise city

The bounty of the sea is an essential element in celebrating the New Year in Japan.

With its bright red body, splendid beard, and plump clear white flesh, ise-ebi lobster is a celebrated seafood for the Japanese, rivaling the sea bream. Records exist showing that the Japanese were already eating shrimp by the 8th century, and books dating from the 17th century indicate that ise-ebi lobster was a prized dish to celebrate the new year in Edo and Osaka. The ise-ebi lobster design is even enshrined proudly in the center of traditional new year decorations.

Are they called ise-ebi because they live in Ise Bay!?

The Shima peninsula in Mie Prefecture is known for producing ise-ebi lobsters. Shima Peninsula faces onto Ise Bay, a habitat for many ise-ebi lobsters due to its warm and shallow sea waters. It’s said that originally the “ise” part of the ise-ebi name stemmed from the fact that these were caught in Ise Bay in great numbers, unrivaled by anywhere else in Japan. Now that refrigeration technology has developed we can enjoy their taste the whole year round, but those caught in their natural season (October to April) come highly recommended! The flesh of ise-ebi lobsters caught around this time is firmer and sweeter.

If you want true luxury, enjoy a full ise-ebi lobster course.

If you want to enjoy this celebrated shellfish to your heart’s content, you should stop by at Kagetsu, a renowned ise-ebi lobster and steamed seafood restaurant, located in the town of Toba on the Shima Peninsula. There, you can savor the full course of natural lobster—from the rich flavor of massive steamed ise-ebi lobsters to ise-ebi lobsters grilled whole and the compelling texture of lobster sashimi. Kagetsu enjoys an unending stream of visitors from around the world, who come seeking the precious ise-ebi lobster.

For reference

Located In Ise, Shima And Toba Kagetsu 

Address

16-3 Oakihigashimachi, Toba-shi, Mie-ken
Telephone

0599-26-5252 
Hours

 [Weekdays] 11 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. 4:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. (last orders)
 [Saturdays] 11 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. 4:30 P.M. – 8 P.M. (last orders) 
Closed

No regular days of closure
 Price

 Courses start around 4,000 yen per person
URL

http://kagetu.co.jp/english/

Access

Chubu Centrair International Airport is a 1-hour flight from Haneda Airport.

Chubu Centrair International Airport is a 1-hour and 40-minute flight from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport.

Chubu Centrair International Airport is a 1-hour and 15-minute flight from Sendai Airport.

Chubu Centrair International Airport is a 65-minute flight from Matsuyama Airport.

Meitetsu Nagoya Station is 28 minutes via Meitetsu line from Central Japan International Airport Station. 

Kintetsu Nagoya Station is a 10-minute walk from Meitetsu Nagoya Station.
Shima Akasaki Station is 1 hour and 36 minutes via Kintetsu line from Kintetsu Nagoya Station.
Kagetsu is a 20-minute walk from Shima Akasaki Station.