A museum dedicated to the snow crab, a winter delicacy in Japan, will open July 15 in the town of Echizen in Fukui Prefecture, town officials said Saturday.
The officials said they hope 150,000 people will visit the museum annually. The locally caught crab is known as Echizen-gani.
The main section of the museum is shaped like the shell of a crab and has three stories, while administrative facilities and a seafood market are located in the museum's "legs."
The museums' exhibits include live specimens of various species of crab and a model of the snow crabs' undersea habitat. There is also a stereoscopic theater where visitors will be able to view 3-D images of crabs being caught.
The seafood market sells fresh delicacies including crab, fish, shrimp and squid. There is also a restaurant on the second floor of the market.
Construction of the museum began in fiscal 1998 and cost 2 billion yen.