Text by Alex
When traveling to the sunny and beachy Okinawa, many might opt for homestays or B&Bs to get closer to nature and experience rural vibes. However, as “city dwellers,” we may not be familiar with some local taboos. Recently, netizen @HirohiroUno, who had just moved to Okinawa, thought he was only stepping out for a bit and would return shortly, so for convenience, he didn’t close the door properly. As a result, he got a huge scare from an unexpected visitor inside his room.
I just went out after changing clothes, and there was a coconut crab in the room.
This is the reality of life on Okinawa’s remote islands. pic.twitter.com/gMHDdTacwE— ひろひろ (@HirohiroUno) July 28, 2021
▲“I just stepped out for a moment, and there was a crab in the room. This is the reality of life on Okinawa’s remote islands.”
▲(Photo by HirohiroUno @Twitter)
Coconuts crabs may be familiar to many, but the one he encountered in his room was a rather large and intimidating-looking specimen. The crab gets its name because it’s rumored to climb trees to pick and eat coconuts—implying that its massive claws are incredibly strong and best avoided. In fact, it’s currently the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world.
@HirohiroUno likely exercised caution and didn’t dare handle the uninvited guest bare-handed, so he used a metal food tongs to escort the intruder back outside. True to form, the coconut crab wasn’t harmless—it fought back while trying to find a hiding spot when it felt “attacked.” From the video, it took @HirohiroUno a few tries to subdue it.
Yep, tongs definitely come in handy ┼┼ pic.twitter.com/6pjobYYy8R
— ひろひろ (@HirohiroUno) July 28, 2021
▲Turns out the tongs were really useful.
But the story doesn’t end there. @HirohiroUno thought that once he put the coconut crab outside, it would simply leave. Unexpectedly, it continued wandering around the grass outside his house, making constant creaking noises (probably from bumping into the walls). Finally, unable to tolerate the noise any longer, @HirohiroUno went outside to investigate—and discovered there were actually two coconut crabs. He tweeted that he suspects the crabs have figured out there’s food at his place and are doing everything they can to break in. He even worried about one day being surrounded—or even crushed—by a horde of them.
The escaped coconut crab is still lurking around in front of the house.
— ひろひろ (@HirohiroUno) July 28, 2021
It keeps making creaking noises against the wall.
I thought it just wandered in by accident, but maybe it’s targeting me.
Someday I might get surrounded and crushed to death by a bunch of coconut crabs. pic.twitter.com/9z60bcgRQ5
▲“The crab I let go is still wandering around in front of the house, creaking against the wall nonstop.”
There’s another one.
— ひろひろ (@HirohiroUno) July 29, 2021
So annoying. pic.twitter.com/5gXBECJKHc
▲“There’s another one. So noisy.”
Coconut crabs are omnivorous, eating everything from fruit to carcasses, and they have a keen sense of smell, earning them the nickname “robber crabs.” Though not abundant, coconut crabs are not uncommon on Okinawa’s smaller islands, and some restaurants even serve dishes featuring them. However, @HirohiroUno mentioned he’s allergic to crustaceans, so at most, he’d only keep a coconut crab as a pet.
If it’s too much trouble, just try eating it (lol) pic.twitter.com/N5xm7jb4zW
— sinchancap です (@sinchancap) July 30, 2021
▲A commenter suggested a way to deal with the coconut crab (just kidding).
Source: @HirohiroUno