TOTTORI, Japan (WASHINGTON POST) - A single snow crab fetched a record 2 million yen (S$24,000) in the season's first auction to be held on Wednesday (Nov 7) at a port in Tottori Prefecture. Snow crabs are a prized winter treat in Japan.

The previous record for the prefecture of 1.3 million yen was set in 2016, according to the Tottori fisheries department.

An official of the prefectural government said the bid for the premium snow crab must be the highest ever in the country.

The crab had a shell 14.6cm wide, and weighed 1.28kg.

It was among the three auctioned that were recognised as Itsukiboshi premium-brand crabs.

A snow crab in Hyogo Prefecture, where there is a major port for landing them, recorded its highest bidding price of nearly 1.09 million yen on Tuesday.

In Fukui Prefecture, a top price of 460,000 yen was fetched for a snow crab.

People at the bidding site in Tottori Port, including the brokers, cheered and applauded when local company Kanemasa Hamashita Shoten won with the record-breaking bid.

Company president Tetsuji Hamashita, 48, said he sought the crab "because this is the last (snow crab) season of the Heisei era".