Kappo Matsuya — The Only One in the World

A Story of Life, the Sea, and a Chef Who Never Gave Up

In a quiet coastal town of Izumisano, just ten minutes from Kansai International Airport,
there stands a humble Japanese restaurant — Kappo Matsuya.

Founded in 1964, in the midst of Japan’s era of rapid growth,
it began as a small family-run eatery serving the blessings of the sea.
The founder’s wife created a simple yet beautiful rice dish — Kani-meshi,
mixing crab meat with ginkgo nuts and carrots.
She used to say,

“Before you taste it, let it be something that makes your heart feel warm.”
That spirit became the soul of Matsuya.

Today, her son, Chef Kenji Hamada, stands at the helm.
For over 40 years, he has devoted his life to a single ingredient — the Japanese blue crab.
Every day, he checks the water tanks,
adjusts the salinity, and listens to the breathing of the crabs.
He handles nearly two tons of live crab each year,
each one carefully selected, prepared, and cooked by his own hands.

This dedication has created something truly rare:
the only restaurant in Japan — and perhaps the world —
that serves live Japanese blue crab, 365 days a year.

But what makes Matsuya special is not only the skill.
It’s the human story behind every dish.

Guests often say after a meal:

“This place makes me think of the people I love.”
That’s because the food here carries warmth — the feeling of home, of family, of time.

At Matsuya, every dish tells a story:
a father and son sharing sake,
a daughter celebrating her parents’ anniversary,
a family remembering someone they’ve lost.
Each plate holds not just flavor, but a moment of life itself.

“True flavor is born from the heart that thinks of someone else.”

This is the philosophy that breathes through Matsuya’s kitchen.
There is no exaggeration, no decoration — only sincerity.
The steam from the pot carries the scent of the sea and the soul of the fishermen.
The red of the crab reflects both the seasons and the beauty of impermanence.

The world is vast,
but there is only one place like this.
A small restaurant by the Osaka Bay,
where a chef continues to steam crabs with devotion,
where each meal connects life from the sea to the table,
and from one heart to another.

That is Kappo Matsuya —
a quiet miracle of craftsmanship,
born from faith, love, and the will to carry tradition forward.

“Cooking is a relay of life —
from the sea, to the hands of man, to the hearts of those we cherish.
As long as that relay continues,
the steam of Matsuya will never fade.”

— Chef Kenji Hamada, 2nd Generation Owner