The Japanese word for snail is katatsumuri and a pond snail is tanishi. Find more snail words translated into Japanese in the table below.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Snail カタツムリ | Katatsumuri | 蝸牛 | |
| Escargot エスカルゴ | Esukarugo | None | |
| Pond snail タニシ | Tanishi | 田螺 | |
| Land snail リクガイ | Rikugai | 陸貝 | |
| Sea snail カイサンマキガイ | Kaisan makigai | 海産巻貝 | |
| Common purple sea snail アサガオガイ | Asagaogai | 朝顔貝 |
Interesting facts about snails in Japan
There are a wide variety of snails found in Japan, some of which include the Heterogen japonica (Japanese Mystery Snail) who lives in freshwater such as lakes and ponds. Another example being the turban shell sea snails which are found along the coastlines of Japan and Korea.
Interestingly, just like in France, it’s fairly common to eat snails in Japan. The species found on land are not consumed and instead sea snails such as the above mentioned turban shell sea snails are a favorite. These types of dishes is not for everyone but some enjoy turban shell sea snails raw as a type of sashimi or grilled over charcoal.