🍱 Ganjiru

Usa City is located at the base of Kunisaki Peninsula. To the north, the city faces the "Suounada" Sea, and to the south, "Tateishi Mountain", "Hitomidake Mountain", and other mountains less than 1,000 meters above sea level can be seen. "Usa Jingu", the main shrine of more than 40,000 Hachiman shrines in Japan, is known as a power spot visited by many worshippers every year. The Yakkan River, which flows through the city, is famous for its Tsugani (=River Crab) crabbing. "Tsugani" is the name of a large riverine crab, the "mokuzugani", which is characterized by its algae-dust-like, hairy hands. "Ganjiru", a soup eaten in this region, is made by mashing Tsugani and flavoring it with soy sauce. It is said to have been invented in order to enjoy the crab, which is difficult to eat on its own. Until the mid-Showa period, "Ganjiru" was often made by ordinary households. However, since the population of Tsugani itself is decreasing and making tsugani is time-consuming, households, except in some regions, are making "Ganjiru" less and less often. There are various theories about the name, but it is said that the word "Kani-jiru(crab soup)" became "Gani-jiru" and gradually changed to "Ganjiru".