In East Asia awabi are found in areas between the ebb tide line and shore reefs about 20m below the surface of the sea, they can be seen from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan, and along the Korean Peninsula and northern China, and live on Phaeophyceae such as Eisenia bicyclis, wakame seaweeds and kelp.
東アジアでは日本の北海道南部から九州、朝鮮半島および中華人民共和国北部の干潮帯付近から水深20m程の岩礁に生息し、アラメ、ワカメ、コンブなどの褐藻類を食べている。