About 68% of People Who Eat Crab and Seafood on 'Special Occasions' Choose 'New Year's / Year-end and New Year Holidays'! The Top Priority When Choosing is 'Origin and Brand'

■ How do you choose crab and seafood for the year-end and New Year holidays? As the end of the year approaches, crabs and seafood begin to line the storefronts of supermarkets. Simply adding them to a hot pot or serving them alongside Osechi (traditional New Year foods) makes the dining table look festive. On the other hand, how many people actually choose crab and seafood as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays? Therefore, we conducted a survey jointly with the Hokkaido crab mail-order service 'Sen-Sai Club,' targeting 500 men and women nationwide on 'How crab and seafood are chosen during the year-end, New Year, and year-end gift seasons.' * When quoting the contents of this press release, please ensure the following: - State that the source is 'A survey by NEXER Inc. and Hokkaido crab mail-order service Sen-Sai Club.' - Provide a link to Sen-Sai Club (https://shop.sen-sai.net/). Survey Overview on 'How crab and seafood are chosen during the year-end, New Year, and year-end gift seasons' Survey Method: Internet questionnaire Survey Period: May 15 - May 22, 2026 Target Audience: Men and women nationwide Valid Responses: 500 samples Questions: Q1: Have you ever eaten crab or seafood as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays? Q2: Please tell us the reason. Q3: Do you ever eat crab or seafood on 'special occasions'? Q4: Please select all that apply as special occasions. (Multiple answers allowed) Q5: Do you ever choose crab as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays? Q6: Please tell us the reason. Q7: Do you ever choose crab or seafood for gifting? Q8: Please select all the points you prioritize when choosing crab or seafood for gifting. (Multiple answers allowed) Q9: Please tell us what you prioritize the most and the reason. * As a rule, percentages are rounded to the first decimal place, so the total may not equal exactly 100%. ■ 61.2% answered they 'have eaten crab or seafood' during the year-end and New Year holidays First, we asked if they had ever eaten crab or seafood as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays. As a result, 11.2% said 'eat every year,' 12.8% said 'eat almost every year,' 14.0% said 'eat once every few years,' and 23.2% said 'have eaten only a few times in the past.' Combining these, it shows that 61.2% of people have experience eating crab or seafood during the year-end and New Year holidays. On the other hand, 38.8% answered they 'have never eaten it.' So, for what reasons do those who have eaten it choose crab or seafood? We asked for specifics, and here are some of the responses. Reasons for choosing crab or seafood: - Because it feels special and celebratory (Female, 40s) - Because I want to eat luxurious food during the year-end and New Year (Female, 40s) - Because I want to luxuriously eat crab and spiny lobster, which I rarely get to eat normally, during the New Year (Male, 50s) - Because it's a tradition for the family to gather and eat crab hot pot on New Year's (Female, 50s) - We make hand-rolled sushi with a sashimi set and eat it luxuriously as a celebration. (Female, 60s) - Because New Year's is special (Female, 60s) Reasons related to habits, such as 'because it's a tradition,' stood out. Some people gather around a crab hot pot every year as a family custom, while others naturally have the opportunity to eat it because seafood is included in Osechi. Also, it was impressive that there were many expressions like 'luxurious,' 'extravagant,' and 'celebration.' It suggests that many people want to brighten up their dining table with a meal different from usual during the special time of the year-end and New Year. ■ 29.6% answered they 'sometimes eat crab or seafood on special occasions' Next, we asked if they ever eat crab or seafood on 'special occasions,' not limited to the year-end and New Year holidays. As a result, 29.6% said 'Yes' and 70.4% said 'No.' So, what exactly are these 'special occasions'? We asked those who answered 'Yes' for specific situations. The most common was 'New Year's / Year-end and New Year holidays' at 67.6%. This was followed by 'Family/relative gatherings' at 43.2% and 'Birthday celebrations' at 31.8%. The top answers were occasions where people gather, such as New Year's, family gatherings, and birthdays. It seems that crab and seafood are more likely to be chosen as a feast when sharing a table with someone, rather than enjoying it quietly alone. ■ 24.2% answered they 'sometimes choose crab' as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays Next, we asked if they ever choose 'crab' as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays. As a result, 24.2% said 'Yes' and 75.8% said 'No.' About 1 in 4 people answered that they sometimes choose crab during the year-end and New Year holidays. So, for what reasons do they choose crab? We asked those who answered 'Yes' for specifics, and here are some of the responses. Reasons for choosing 'crab' as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays: - Because I think it's a special feast (Male, 40s) - It's expensive, but I want to splurge on New Year's (Female, 40s) - Because I think crab is a taste of winter. (Male, 50s) - Because it's just right for eating with a large group like family and relatives (Male, 50s) - New Year's is special (Female, 60s) - Because everyone likes it, and we normally can't afford to buy it (Female, 60s) The responses show a strong image of 'winter' and 'feast.' Crab is recognized as a winter delicacy and seems to be chosen as an ingredient that fits the dining table during the year-end and New Year holidays. Also, it is clear that it is chosen for the milestone of the year-end and New Year precisely because it is something not eaten often. Words like 'want to splurge on New Year's' and 'New Year's is special' indicate that many people feel a sense of specialness in crab. ■ Only 5.4% choose crab/seafood for gifting. The most prioritized factor is 'Origin and Brand' Finally, we asked if they ever choose crab or seafood for gifting. As a result, 5.4% said 'Yes' and 94.6% said 'No.' Although not many people choose it for gifting, crab and seafood are ingredients with a special feel. It suggests that they are chosen carefully, considering the recipient's preferences, family structure, and ease of receiving. So, what do those who choose it for gifting prioritize? We asked about the points they prioritize when choosing. The most common was 'Origin and Brand' at 66.7%. This was followed by 'Recipient's preferences/family structure' at 51.9%, 'Price/Budget' at 48.1%, and 'Freshness/Quality' at 44.4%. We asked for specifics about the most prioritized points and their reasons, and here are some of the responses. Points especially prioritized when choosing crab/seafood for gifting: - For crab, the origin is important, so I prioritize that the most (Male, 40s) - I prioritize whether it suits the recipient's taste (Female, 40s) - Freshness is more important than anything (Male, 40s) - Whether it gives a sense of high quality in appearance as a gift (Male, 50s) - Because anything other than Hokkaido-grown is not delicious (Male, 50s) - Because I want them to eat it deliciously (Female, 40s) When choosing crab and seafood for gifting, many people seem to prioritize whether the recipient can eat it deliciously. It suggests that not only freshness and delivery speed, but also the high-quality appearance and origin lead to a sense of security as a gift. Also, the comment 'Because anything other than Hokkaido-grown is not delicious' shows a desire not just to send food, but to deliver the unique deliciousness of that region. ■ Summary In this survey, 61.2% of people have eaten crab or seafood as a feast for the year-end and New Year holidays. In the free-text responses, voices such as 'winter feast,' 'something not normally eaten,' and 'a special dish to gather around with everyone' were seen. Crab and seafood seem to be recognized not as something eaten daily, but as ingredients easily chosen for special occasions like the year-end and New Year holidays and celebrations. Because it's a once-a-year milestone, people want to choose a dish different from usual. By adding crab and seafood with a focus on origin and freshness to the time spent with family and loved ones, the dining table during the year-end and New Year holidays will surely become even more memorable. - State that the source is 'A survey by NEXER Inc. and Hokkaido crab mail-order service Sen-Sai Club.' - Provide a link to Sen-Sai Club (https://shop.sen-sai.net/). [About Sen-Sai Club] Company Name: Hokkaido Food Planning Co., Ltd. Location: 4-5-3 Suehiro, Wakkanai City, Hokkaido 097-0001 Representative: Ryosuke Ono Tel: 0162-20-4283 URL: https://shop.sen-sai.net/ Business Description: Operation of 'Sen-Sai Club,' a direct sales site for Hokkaido specialty products. From Wakkanai City, the northernmost point of Japan, we deliver the 'deliciousness' of Hokkaido nationwide with sincerity. We mainly handle fresh seafood such as horsehair crab, king crab, snow crab, Hokkaido Okhotsk scallops, and botan shrimp, as well as agricultural products like melons and rice. In addition to operating the internet mail-order 'Sen-Sai Club,' we are engaged in the Wakkanai City hometown tax return gift provision business, product provision for department store gifts, product supply business for delivery systems within Hokkaido, and commercial food wholesale business. [About NEXER Inc.] Headquarters: Rise Arena Building 11F, 4-5-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 Representative Director: Yuya Miyata URL: https://www.nexer.co.jp Business Description: SEO, Web branding, Web advertising, site production, media