If you know anything about Japanese cuisine, then you know about sushi, sashimi, and other famous seafood dishes. They are delicious and practically elevated to an art form in some circles. Many are considered a delicacy throughout the country, and chefs can require years of training.

The popularity and simplicity of Japanese seafood speaks to the tastes of residents. Plates rely heavily on light flavors (i.e., few sauces) ,the manner in which the dishes are served, and the expertise with which fish is cut.

Nevertheless, every great seafood meal begins with a catch of fish. As such, fish markets are common here and fresh catches are often available at local grocers or through online stores.

YouTuber Kimagure Cook is well aware of this. On his channel, he showcases sushi plates and other seafood dishes. And he makes them from scratch. His videos begin with the whole fish as he walks viewers through the process of preparing a large animal to make a delicious seafood meal.

Just a slight warning, the embedded videos below involve techniques on handling and preparing live fish. For the more sensitive readers, be forewarned that they do feature a some gore.

Preparing a 10 kg YellowTail

Kimagaure got his hands on a gigantic 10 kg buri (yellowtail). The fish is long and a slick gray color. The YouTuber struggles to handle the catch it is so large.

He starts by cutting off the fins being careful not to cut himself. He removes the innards and uses a small knife to get out all the excess. He washes out the insides and then cuts through the midline on the anterior and posterior side to flay the yellowtail and remove the very large spine.

The YouTuber puts the head aside for buri daikon, another delicious Japanese dish. He divides the flays and explains when to cut parallel or orthogonal to the grain. By the end, he has a vast amount of freshly prepared yellowtail. Wrap it in plastic, and you could practically imagine it sitting in a grocery store cooler.

A $1700 Tasmania Giant Crab

I love crab, but I had no idea they came in king size.

Devoted to his craft, Kimagure Cook has sprung for the sizable purchase and gotten ahold of a Tasmanian giant crab. As the crab is found off the Australian island state of Tasmania, Kimagure struck a deal with Australian fish sellers to purchase the crab whenever one finally became available.

They prepare boiling water with salt, sugar, and vinegar in order to cook the crab. While waiting—the crab takes 20 minutes—Kimagure and the fishers enjoy some fresh oysters and take a tour of the facility.

As a Tasmanian giant crab is anything but petite, Kimagure requires some heavy-duty hardware. With butcher knife and hammer in hand, he gets to work and digs in. He removes the legs and cuts into the body. The brain of the crab will become kani miso, and the meat throughout the legs and can be eaten directly.

The pinchers, on the other hand, require a hammer to break through their rigid exoskeleton. The YouTuber does so and is amazed: the amount of meat in the main pincher is as large as his fist.

After all that hard work, Kimagure prepares his spread. He takes out some mayonnaise, ponzu sauce, salt, soy sauce, and mix of spices. Everything but the miso is delicious, but the meat of the pincer, covered in mayonnaise, is by far the best.

Oval Squid Sashimi

Kimagure made it down to the fish market, and they just so happened to have an oval squid. And a big one, too. It weighed in at 1.5 kilograms and was still alive. Typically, such a catch demands top dollar.

As sashimi (raw fish) is on the menu, the YouTuber takes out a boat plate that is sometimes used to serve sashimi. It stores ice on the bottom and is quite picturesque when garnish is arranged on top.

Indeed, this oval squid is as fresh as it comes. It's still moving as Kimagure puts in on the cutting board. The vlogger must act quickly. He quickly removes the innards and the outer skin. Every movement is brisk and precise to preserve the freshest of flavors.

The meat of the squid is creamy white and nearly translucent. According to the YouTuber (and the title of the video) it's like a crystal. He apologizes to the squid, adds some lemon, and dips the squid into soy sauce and ginger. As he eats, the YouTuber explains that the thin cut is particularly delicious. It is tender, and not chewy like squid can sometimes be.

And of course, it goes great with beer.