How about heading to northern Hyogo and Kyoto this winter for crab and rakugo (traditional comic storytelling)? Kobe Shimbun Travel, the travel arm of the Kobe Shimbun newspaper, is running the 2-day, 1-night tour “Ultimate Winter Trip! Tagged Live Matsubagani Full Course and Eirakukan, Guided by a Rakugo Performer — A Special Show Just for This Trip” on Wednesday, December 16 and Thursday, December 17, 2026. Starring matsubagani (snow crab), whose season opened on November 6, it also takes in a historic theater, a distillery and a sightseeing cruise, with a tour escort throughout.
A full course of tagged live matsubagani at the inn
The heart of the trip is dinner at the inn, Kyukamura Takeno-Kaigan in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture. Besides a tagged boiled matsubagani, the course includes “flower-blooming” crab sashimi, crab sukiyaki hot pot, grilled crab miso in the shell, charcoal-grilled crab, crab-leg tempura and crab zosui (rice soup) — a spread built entirely around crab.
Boiled, raw, simmered, grilled, fried and in rice soup: the course lets you try crab cooked many ways in one meal. It suits anyone who wants to enjoy the “king of winter flavors” properly while the season is young.
Izushi Eirakukan with rakugo performer Ginjiro Katsura, and a special show
Another highlight is a stop at Izushi Eirakukan, the oldest theater in the Kinki region, also known as the location of a popular film. Joining the group is rakugo performer Ginjiro Katsura, an unusual figure who once served as a community revitalization cooperator in Toyooka, and he will explain the theater as you walk through it. Knowing its background beforehand makes the visit richer.
At the inn, Kyukamura Takeno-Kaigan, he will also give “a special show just for this trip” for tour guests only. Live rakugo after a crab dinner is a very travel-night way to end the day.
Whisky tasting at a new distillery, and an Ine Bay cruise
The stops are not only about food and performance. On the first day (December 16) the group tours the Yabu Distillery in Yabu, Hyogo, and can taste the whisky first shipped from the distillery. On the second day (December 17) they take the Ine Bay sightseeing cruise in northern Kyoto Prefecture.
The route runs from Hyogo up to northern Kyoto in two days. With a tour escort along, even unfamiliar roads should feel easy.
Tour details
- Tour name: Ultimate Winter Trip! Tagged Live Matsubagani Full Course and Eirakukan, Guided by a Rakugo Performer — A Special Show Just for This Trip
- Dates: Wednesday, December 16 – Thursday, December 17, 2026 (2 days, 1 night)
- Accommodation: Kyukamura Takeno-Kaigan
- Meals: 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner
- Tour escort: accompanies the group
- Booking and inquiries: Kobe Shimbun Travel, 078-362-7174 (weekdays 9:30–15:00). You can also apply via the dedicated QR code
