There was a rustling sound from the suitcases that made the hotel staff suspicious about the contents.
The police were called in and when the guests were asked to open the suitcases, thousands of hermit crabs were discovered, together weighing around 95 kilos.
Hermit crabs are a protected species in Japan and belong to a limited group of species with high cultural and scientific value.
A single hermit crab can cost 20,000 yen, approximately 1,337 kronor.
Our investigation will now investigate whether they had the hermit crabs for sale, to keep them as pets or to eat them, says a police officer.
