Shrimp

えび

A lucky food for celebrations. Domestic catch centers on amaebi and hokkoku-akaebi; vannamei and black tiger are largely imported. Kuruma ebi is farmed extensively in Aichi and Kumamoto

Taste & Texture

Distinctive sweetness and texture. Kuruma ebi is a premium sushi topping; amaebi offers rich sweetness raw; ise-ebi is top-grade for celebrations. Versatile — tempura, fried, sushi, Chinese dishes

Season

MONTHLY AVAILABILITY

Sep - Dec

PEAK

※ Season is based on domestic field-grown availability

How to Choose

  • Translucent shell with firm body; head not darkened; tail stretched straight.

  • For thawed products, check for surface gloss and resilience.

How to Store

  • Raw ideally cooked same day.

  • Boiled shrimp: 1-2 days refrigerated; about 1 month frozen.

  • Freezing in shell preserves flavor longer.

Shelf life 1-2 days refrigerated (cooked); about 1 month frozen

Nutrition Facts

Monthly Supply Volume

Supply Peak

Peak Month 10 19,582t
Annual Inflow 179,886 t
Inflow (t)
In season

Source: MAFF Seafood Distribution Survey (monthly cold-storage inflow) (2024). Monthly cold-storage inflow — used as a supply-signal proxy when national monthly wholesale prices are not published.

Retail Price

Price Trend

Cheapest Aug ¥347/100g
Most Expensive Jan ¥374/100g

Annual Average

¥356/100g

Source: Statistics Bureau Retail Price Survey (2026)

Top Landing Prefectures

Saga19.1%
Hyogo11.4%
Hokkaido8.0%
Ishikawa7.2%
Toyama5.5%
Others48.8%
10%+
5%+
2%+
0.1%+
None

Map data: National Land Numerical Information (MLIT Japan)

#
Prefecture
Production (t)
Share
1
2,287
19.1%
2
1,363
11.4%
3
961
8.0%
4
861
7.2%
5
658
5.5%

Source: MAFF Marine Fisheries Production Statistics (wild catch) (2023)

Top 5 Prefecture Production Trends (2018-2023)

Saga
Hyogo
Hokkaido
Ishikawa
Toyama

Consumption Ranking

National Average (annual spending per household)

¥2,943 /year
#
City
Annual Spending
1
Kobe Hyogo
¥4,490
2
Kumamoto Kumamoto
¥4,182
3
Osaka Osaka
¥3,817
4
Shizuoka Shizuoka
¥3,770
5
Toyama Toyama
¥3,462

Source: Statistics Bureau Family Income and Expenditure Survey (2024, two-or-more-person households, prefectural capital cities)