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We’ve already mentioned how fond we are of deep sea creatures here in Japan, in particular the giant isopod that has been turned into various products from phone cases to gachapon toys. Well, now it seems that Yamaki Honpo, a maker of traditional Japanese senbei (rice crackers), has taken the Japanese love of isopods to new heights. They’ve come up with … yes, you guessed it, Giant Isopod senbei crackers! And while we can certainly understand how people might find these creatures fascinating, we have to say, we’re honestly not sure how to react to this new snack. Bug crackers, seriously?

Now, in case you’re not familiar with the deep sea creatures that the Japanese seem to love so much, well, this is what they look like:

gusoku realFlickr (Orin Zebest)

The senbei crackers indeed contain these giant isopods, which are said to have a “rich flavor like prawns or crab.” Here’s a tweet advertising the crunchy new snacks:

[tweet https://twitter.com/shinkaiproject/status/578873944557522944 align=center]

The isopod senbei will become available from May 2 through Yamaki Honpo, the Yokohama Omoshiro Aquarium and various selected souvenir shops across Japan at a price of 1,500 yen (US$12.61) for a box of 12 crackers filled with deep sea goodness. But for those of you who just can’t wait to try these treats, they’ll be available for advance sale at the Niconico Chokaigi, a large-scale fan event held by Japanese video-sharing site Niconico Douga that will take place on April 25 and 26 this year.

Not surprisingly, the Japanese Internet seems divided in opinion on this unique snack, from people saying that the sea bugs really are not that different from shrimp or crab, to people who are absolutely disgusted by the idea of anything edible containing these roach-like creatures.

We guess we’ll leave it up to you to decide whether the idea of sea bug crackers sounds interesting or downright unappetizing!

Source:Twitter (@shinkaiproject),  My Game News Flash@Jin, ITmedia
Top image: Twitter (@shinkaiproject)