Wagyu (Japanese: 和牛, Hepburn: wagyū, lit.'Japanese cattle') is the collective name for the four principal Japanese breeds of beef cattle. All wagyū cattle originate from early twentieth-century cross-breeding between native Japanese cattle and imported stock, mostly from Europe.[1]:5
Wagyu beef is among the most expensive meats in the world.[2] It features marbling, meaning that streaks of fat exist within the red meat that make it tender and moist, while adding flavor. Wagyu beef is often known by different names depending on its place of origin. In several Japanese prefectures, Wagyu beef is shipped with an area name; examples include Matsusaka beef, Kobe beef from the Tajima cattle, Yonezawa beef and Ōmi beef. In recent years, Wagyu beef has increased in fat percentage due to a decrease in grazing and an increase in the use of feed, resulting in larger, fattier cattle.[3][4][5]
Definition
Wagyu refers to "Japanese cattle" and is not a specific breed, derived from "Wa" means Japanese and "Gyu" means cow.[6] Japanese native cattle became almost extinct after the Meiji Restoration (1868), mainly as a result of crossbreeding with European breeds, with exceptions such as the Mishima cattle. There are only a few hundred Japanese native cattle, and meat from these cattle is seldom sold on the market. Today, Wagyu refers to four breeds known as "improved Wagyu" (改良和牛, kairyō wagyū), which have been established as distinct breeds through crossbreeding with European cattle.
The rich marbling that is considered a characteristic of Wagyu is actually a feature of the Japanese Black breed, and not of the other three breeds. This is often misunderstood because the Japanese Black currently accounts for 97% of all Wagyu raised in Japan.[7]
In 2001, bovine spongiform encephalopathy was reported in Japanese cattle and became a major social problem. Since then, stringent testing and registration measures for cattle in Japan have been implemented. Since 2007, only four breeds of kairyō wagyū and their crossbreds, as well as cattle born, raised, and duly registered in Japan, have been allowed to be labeled as Wagyu.[8]
Western breeds such as Holstein and Jersey are also raised in Japan for dairy cattle. When meat from these cattle is sold in Japan, it must be labeled "domestic beef" (国産牛), not "Wagyu." [8]
In 1927, fossils of an ancient wild cattle, Hanaizumi Moriushi (Leptobison hanaizumiensis), dating from the Paleolithic period about 20,000 years ago, were discovered at the Hanaizumi Site in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. The Hanaizumi Moriushi is a species similar to the bison and is said to be close to the steppe bison (Bison priscus) lineage. Fossil bones of Aurochs (Bos primigenius) have also been found in Ichinoseki City.[9] Since Hokkaido and Honshu were land-locked with the Eurasian continent during the Ice Age, these animals came from the continent via Hokkaido.
In addition, projectile points made from polished wild cattle bones have been found at the same site, although in small quantities, suggesting that humans existed during this period and that Hanaizumi Moriushi and aurochs were hunted.[9]
However, some in the Japanese archaeological community remain skeptical about the presence of cattle in Japan during the Yayoi period, and there is a persistent view that they were brought to Japan from the Korean peninsula by the toraijin, a group of people who came to Japan in the mid-5th century during the Kofun period. At the Nango-Ōhigashi site in Gose City, Nara Prefecture, excavations revealed cow bones believed to date back to the 5th century. At the Funamiya Kofun Tumulus (late 5th century) in Asago City, Hyōgo Prefecture, pieces of a cow-shaped haniwa (clay figurine), believed to be the oldest in Japan, have been excavated. In addition, a cow-shaped haniwa was excavated from the Hashida No. 1 Tumulus in Tawaramoto Town, Shiki-gun, Nara Prefecture in the first half of the 6th century, and was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1958.[13]
On the other hand, recent genetic studies have shown that Wagyu and Korean cattle (Hanwoo and others) differ greatly in their genetic information. Livestock cattle are divided into two major lineages: northern lineage cattle (Bos taurus) and Indian lineage cattle (Bos indicus), and both Wagyu and Korean cattle belong to the northern lineage and do not contain Indian lineage such as Zebu cattle.[14]
However, in terms of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, haplogroup T4 (East Asian type) is predominant in the Wagyu (Japanese Black) at about 65%, while haplogroup T3 (European type) is predominant in Korean cattle at 66-83%.[14][15]
T4 is a haplogroup unique to East Asia that is not observed in Near Eastern, European, and African cattle, and T3 is the predominant haplogroup in European cattle, but T3 is also predominant in Korean cattle. This means that the present breed of Korean cattle is not the main ancestor of the Wagyu.
In addition, haplogroup P has additionally been detected in about 46% of the Japanese Shorthorn.[16] It has been detected in many extinct European aurochs, but has only been found in a total of three current livestock cattle—one Chinese and two Korean—out of several thousand individuals in the database.
The Japanese Shorthorn was created by crossing the Nanbu cattle bred in the former Nanbu Domain territory in northeastern Japan (present-day Iwate Prefecture) with Shorthorns and other breeds imported from the United States, but P has not been detected in Shorthorns and is thought to be derived from the Nanbu cattle.[16]
Fossils of Hanaizumi Moriushi and Aurochs have been found in Iwate Prefecture, but it is unclear if the Nanbu cattle were related to these. Haplogroup P has also been found in Chinese and Korean cattle, but it is extremely rare compared to T4. Therefore, it is suggested that the ancestors of the Nanbu cattle have a different origin from the ancestors of the Japanese Black in western Japan, where T4 is abundant, and that there is no single ancestor of the Wagyu.
History
Cattle were brought to Japan from the Korean Peninsula or China, but archaeological and genetic studies have proposed different dates for their arrival, ranging from around the turn of the era to the 5th century.
Nara period (710-794)
In 675, due to the influence of Buddhism, Emperor Tenmu issued a decree banning meat eating, and eating cattle was officially prohibited in Japan. However, a study of human excrement excavated from the Heijo Palace site has revealed that Japanese people in the Nara period (710–794) continued to eat cattle even after the prohibition.[17] In addition, the Yoro Code (757) stipulates that when a government-owned horse and ox die, it should be dismembered and the skin, brain, horns, and gall bladder removed, and if there is calculus bovis (gallstones), it should be delivered to the state.[18] The Yoro Code also includes provisions for the sale of the hides and meat of horses and cattle, and there were distribution channels throughout Japan for buying and selling these items during the Nara period.
Heian and Kamakura periods (794-1333)
"Swift Bull," 13th century
During the Heian period (794 - 1185), the main use of cattle was for bullock carts. Cattle that excelled in this use were called sun-gyū (駿牛, swift bulls) and were regarded as excellent bulls. Owning such an excellent bull became a source of pride for the aristocrats of Japan at that time.
The "Pictorial Record of Swift Bulls" (駿牛絵詞) which is believed to have been written around 1279, is said to be the world's oldest specialized book on bulls.[19] In the same book, the names of 52 bulls are listed as swift bulls. At the time, the cattle from Iki Island in present-day Nagasaki Prefecture had the highest reputation as swift bulls, but they were temporarily destroyed by the Mongolian army during the Mongolian invasion, which killed them and used them as food.
From the Kamakura period (1185–1333) to the Muromachi period (1336–1573), farming using cattle and horses became popular mainly in western Japan, contributing greatly to the development of agriculture. In a complaint by a farmer in 1423, describing the wrongdoing of a manor administrator, it mentions that the farmer owned cattle and used them for farming.[20]
Edo period (1603-1867)
Wagyu depicted in Ukiyo-e. From "The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō" by Hiroshige Utagawa.
Until about the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, cattle were used only as draught animals, in agriculture, forestry, mining and transport, and as a source of fertilizer. Milk consumption was unknown, and – for cultural and religious reasons – meat was not eaten. Cattle were highly prized and valuable, too expensive for a poor farmer to buy.[1]:2
Japan was effectively isolated from the rest of the world from 1635 until 1854; there was no possibility of the intromission of foreign genes to the cattle population during this time.
In western Japan during the Edo period (1603–1867), superior cattle were produced by aggressive inbreeding, and the superior bloodlines were called "tsuru" (蔓, lit.'vine'), and cattle with superior bloodlines (tsuru-ushi, lit.'vine cattle') were traded at high prices.[21] Famous tsuru include the Takenotani tsuru (Okayama Prefecture), Bokura tsuru (Shimane Prefecture), Iwakura tsuru (Hiroshima Prefecture), and Shusuke tsuru (Hyōgo Prefecture). In Japan, where meat eating was frowned upon and the use of milk was not widespread, cows in the Edo period were primarily work cattle that plowed the fields, so a good cow in this period meant one that was healthy and obedient.
Image of "tsuru" and "tsuru-ushi"
The famous "Tajiri-go" bull was born from the "Atsuta tsuru," which is a descendant of the Shusuke tsuru. According to a survey conducted by the Japan Wagyu Registry Association, the pedigree was traced from a database of 718,969 Japanese black cattle mothers registered in Japan, and it was found that 718,330 or 99.9% of them are descended from the Tajiri-go.[22]
On the other hand, there are those who are concerned about the current situation in which only the Tajima cattle line represented by the Tajiri-go is spreading and genetic diversity is being lost from Wagyu, and the movement to revive the Takenotani tsuru has been attracting attention in recent years.[23]
In 1859, Japan opened the port of Yokohama in accordance with the demands of Western nations. At the same time, a foreign settlement was established in Yokohama. Foreign residents sought cattle for meat from neighboring villages but were refused, so cattle were imported from the U.S., China, and Korea, which gradually became unable to meet the demand.
In 1865, before the Port of Kobe was opened, the Hyogo Port Opening Demand Incident occurred, in which nine warships from Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the United States invaded Hyogo Port demanding its opening. At that time, sailors negotiated with local cattle merchants for cattle, which were initially slaughtered on board, but as demand increased, it became necessary to slaughter them on land. 1866 saw the first slaughter of cattle by foreigners in the pine forests of Cape Wadamisaki.[24] In this way, foreign ships bought 30 or 40 cows at a time in Kobe before the official opening of the port and brought them to Yokohama, where "Kobe beef" (actually Tajima beef) became well known for its delicious taste.[24]
Modern times
Ukiyo-e depicting the Port of Kobe after its opening
In January 1868, when the new port of Kobe opened east of Hyogo Port, the Kobe foreign settlement was established. In 1868, Englishman Edward Charles Kirby established the first slaughterhouse in Kobe, and in 1869, a sukiyaki restaurant called "Gekka-tei" opened there.[24][25]
According to a newspaper article in 1875, Kobe was the first place where meat eating was popular, with 800 cows slaughtered in a month. Next was Yokohama with 600, followed by Tokyo with 500, and Osaka and Nagoya with 300.[26]
The reputation of Wagyu beef as having a superior taste spread from the residents of the foreign settlement to the Japanese, and it was written in books of the time that "Wagyu beef has a better taste than foreign beef"[27] and "there has never been beef as good as Kobe's beef".[28]
At the same time, however, it was also believed that Wagyu were superior to Western breeds for plowing use but inferior in milk and meat production, and their improvement was urgently needed.[29]
Between 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, and 1887, some 2600 foreign cattle were imported.[1]:7 At first, there was little interest in cross-breeding these with the native stock, but from about 1900, it became widespread.
In 1900, the Japanese government established a committee to investigate the improvement of cattle breeding, and began a systematic crossbreeding program between Wagyu and Western breeds. The Ayrshire and Simmental breeds were imported first, followed by the Brown Swiss, but few people wanted to crossbreed with them because of their large size, and the Japanese government encouraged it, but the crossbreds were very unpopular. [30]
The crossbreds' oversized stature made them inconvenient for Japan's narrow arable land, and their movements were slow and sluggish, and their temperaments were rough and lacking in obedience. They also had poor meat quality and were condemned from all quarters as being unsuitable for sukiyaki.[30] As a result, from around 1907, there were no more crossbreds being bred, and in reaction, the old black cattle were considered good, and as long as they were small and black, they could be sold.[30]
As crossbreeding with Western breeds progressed, the term "pure Wagyu" (純粋和牛, junsui Wagyū)[31][32] emerged to describe native Japanese cattle, and by 1912, it was claimed that there were two definitions of Wagyu: "pure Wagyu" and "improved Wagyu" (改良和牛, kairyō Wagyū).[33]
At that time, Mendel's laws had just been rediscovered, and both the Japanese government and cattle farmers lacked sufficient knowledge of genetics. The unpopularity of crossbred cattle led to the Japanese government's decision in 1911 to suspend plans to purchase Brown Swiss and Simmental cattle. In 1912, the Japanese government decided to formally end its policy of encouraging crossbreeding by announcing that crossbreeding between Wagyu and European breeds had been sufficiently successful.[34] From then on, Wagyu improvement was based on pure Wagyu and improved Wagyu (crossbred cattle).
"Fukutomi-go," one of the first Improved Japanese Breeds to win the first prize (1912)
In October 1912, when the 6th Chugoku Six Prefectures United Livestock Breeders' Show was held in Himeji City, Hyōgo Prefecture, two crossbred bulls won first prize as "Improved Japanese Breed" (改良和種, kairyō washu) and the term "Improved Japanese Breed" came into use thereafter. [35] Thereafter, organized breeding efforts to increase the number of superior Wagyu cattle began.
According to a survey conducted in 1914, there were 61 different breeds of Wagyu in Japan at that time, including Tajima cattle, Iwaizumi cattle, Mishima cattle, Aso cattle, and others.[36] However, these were not actual breeds, but only names of regional classifications.
In the case of Hyōgo Prefecture, the leading producer of Wagyu cattle (Kobe cattle and Tajima cattle) at that time, the number of stud bulls owned by breed as of 1914 was as follows.
Number of stud bulls owned in Hyōgo Prefecture by breed (1914) [37]
Even after the Meiji era when hybrid cattle were encouraged, there were still a considerable number of pure Wagyu cattle remaining in the Taisho era (1912–1926). As a policy for the improvement of Wagyu, efforts were made to eliminate negative characteristics of hybrid cattle as much as possible. Specifically, the elimination of sudare (tiger stripes), nori-kuchi (grayish-white lips), unagi-sen (different fur color on the dorsal line), white spots, etc.[38] On the other hand, efforts were made to improve the physique and weight of both pure and improved Wagyu cattle, and from around the 1920s, the term "improved Wagyu" came to refer to all Wagyu cattle, including not only improved Wagyu but also pure Wagyu.
Around 1919, the examination and registration of Wagyu began mainly in western Japan, and pedigrees and body types began to be registered. Nine breeds were registered: Tajima, Bisaku, Hiroshima, Bocho, Shimane, Inhaku, Bungo, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima.[39] However, the examination and registration process was carried out by each prefecture, and the criteria for examination varied. Around 1925, the results of the improvements became visible: the negative characteristics of crossbreeding had almost disappeared from Wagyu cattle, their size and weight had increased, and improvements in hindquarters were clearly visible.
"Tajiri-go," a famous bull of the Japanese black
In 1937, when the former Japan Livestock Industry Association became the central organization for the registration of cattle throughout Japan, the breed names of "Japanese Black," "Japanese Polled," and "Japanese Brown" were created in place of the above nine breeds.
Japanese brown
In 1944, it was officially decided to abolish the conventional name "Improved Japanese Breed" and call the breeds Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, and Japanese Polled, as the characteristics of each breed had been clarified as a result of improvements.[40] This officially recognized the three crossbreeds as fixed breeds. Then, in 1957, the Japanese Shorthorn was added. They are collectively known as Wagyu.
The Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) from 1986 to 1994, which set rules for liberalization of international trade, decided to liberalize imports of foreign beef to Japan. Beef imports have been liberalized since 1991. In FY1993, beef imports jumped 34% over the previous year, and as a result, Japan's beef self-sufficiency rate dropped below 50%.[41]
The liberalization of beef imports has brought about changes in Japan's domestic Wagyu beef production system. In order to compete with cheaper foreign beef, Japanese livestock farmers have become more focused on raising the Japanese Black breed, which has a unique marbling characteristic. As a result, the number of the other three Wagyu breeds has decreased.
Following the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan, the Law for Special Measures Concerning the Management and Relay of Information for Individual Identification of Cattle (Beef Traceability Law) was enacted in 2003. This law stipulates the attachment of ear tags to cattle, the notification, recording, and storage of historical information from birth to beef, and the publication of recorded information on the Internet. In other words, it is possible to trace the history of all Japanese beef sold in Japan.[42]
Breeds and brands
Breeds
Wagyu grazing video
Wagyu
Most of today's Wagyu are improved Wagyu (改良和牛, kairyō wagyū) that have been fixed as breeds through crossbreeding with foreign breeds. There are four breeds of improved Wagyu as follows:[43]:66[44]:420[45]
The Japanese Black (黒毛和種, kuroge washu), which constitutes over 97% of beef cattle in Japan;[7] regional strains within the breed include the Tottori, Tajima, Shimane and Okayama.[46]
The Japanese Shorthorn (日本短角和種, nihon tankaku washu), reared in northern Japan, mainly in Iwate Prefecture; it constitutes less than one percent of all wagyu cattle.[48]
Native Wagyu
Native Wagyu (在来和牛, zairai wagyū) are cattle from ancient Japan that have not been crossbred with foreign breeds. It is also called "Japanese breed," "pure Japanese breed," "pure Wagyu," etc. There are two breeds of native Wagyu as follows:
Today, each region in Japan has its own brand of Wagyu beef, numbering more than 320.[49] The first Wagyu beef to gain a reputation was Kobe beef, already famous since the 1860s and known to foreign countries through foreign residents.[50][51]Ōmi beef also had a reputation since the Meiji era (1868–1912) for its delicious taste.[52] In the Taisho era (1912–1926), Matsusaka beef also became well known.[53] These were originally Tajima cattle, and calves were purchased from the Tajima region, fattened in each region, and then sold. In the Tokyo area, Yonezawa beef has also been known since the Meiji era.[51]
Since the 1980s, Wagyu beef branding has been promoted in various regions of Japan. However, the Japanese Trademark Law at the time did not allow for the establishment of regional collective trademarks, which posed a problem in terms of legal protection. Before the Beef Traceability Law (2003) was enacted, there were also issues regarding the verification of the origin, breeding location, and distribution of Wagyu beef.
In 2006, the Japanese Trademark Law was amended to recognize regional collective trademarks, allowing Wagyu beef to be registered as a "regional brand." In 2014, the Geographical Indications Law was passed, and the operation of Geographical Indications (GI) protection began in 2015. Currently, the GI-registered brands of Wagyu beef are as follows.[54]
Tajima Beef: Tajima beef is beef from the Tajima region of Hyōgo Prefecture, and has a history of about 1,200 years.[55]
Kobe Beef: Kobe Beef is a brand given to the highest quality beef from Hyōgo Prefecture's Tajima cattle and has a history of about 170 years.[56]
Special Matsusaka Beef: Special Matsuzaka Beef (Tokusan Matsusaka Ushi) is a brand given to the highest quality virgin female beef from the Matsuzaka region of Mie Prefecture. The Matsusaka beef brand has a history of about 100 years.[57]
Yonezawa Beef: Yonezawa Beef (Yonezawa Gyu) is beef from virgin Japanese black female cattle in the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture and has a history of about 150 years.[58]
Maesawa Beef: Maesawa Beef is a brand given to the highest quality beef from the Maesawa area of Iwate Prefecture, and has a history of about 70 years.[59]
Miyazaki Beef: Miyazaki Beef is a brand of wagyu beef from Miyazaki Prefecture, and has often won the Wagyu Olympics in recent years.[60]
Ōmi Beef: Ōmi Beef is a wagyu beef brand from Shiga Prefecture with a history of about 400 years.[61]
Kagoshima Black Beef: Kagoshima Black Beef (Kagoshima Kuroushi) is a wagyu beef brand from Kagoshima Prefecture that won the recent Wagyu Olympics.[62]
Kumamoto Red Beef: Kumamoto Red Beef (Kuamoto Akaushi) is a wagyu beef from Kumamoto Prefecture, characterized by its lean meat.[63]
Hiba Beef: Hiba Beef is a brand of Japanese black cattle from Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, with a history dating back to the Edo period.[64]
Hida Beef: Hida Beef is a Japanese beef from Gifu Prefecture and has a history of about 100 years.[65]
Olive-Fed Wagyu Beef: Olive-Fed Wagyu Beef is a brand of Japanese black cattle that is fed olives. It is one of the rarest beef in the world.[66]
Characteristics of Wagyu beef
Wagyu beef marbling
One of the primary characteristics of Wagyu beef is the fine marbling of fat within the red meat, referred to as sashi, and the high ratio of intramuscular fat. However, of the four Wagyu breeds, only the Japanese Black breed has this level of marbling, while the other three breeds do not have a high degree of marbling. The degree of marbling varies depending on sex, castration, and fattening method, but in the case of the Japanese Black, genes are thought to play a major role.[67]
This characteristic of marbled meat is also found in the Mishima cattle, a native Wagyu breed.[68] However, this characteristic is not seen in the Kuchinoshima cattle, which are also a native Wagyu breed. In addition, it is the Tajima cattle strain among the Japanese Black cattle that tend to have marbled meat, while the Takenotani tsuru strain in Okayama Prefecture, for example, is characterized by rather red meat.[69]
The Japanese Black breed is known to be rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid).[70] Generally, the melting point of beef fat is 40-50 degrees Celsius, but monounsaturated fatty acids have a lower melting point, so the melting point of Wagyu beef fat is below that of butter (around 30 degrees Celsius). Therefore, the fat melts at body temperature as soon as it is put in the mouth, and this is thought to be one of the main reasons for the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that is unique to Wagyu beef.
Wagyu beef, especially Japanese black beef, is known to have a unique sweet aroma called "Wagyu beef aroma," which is thought to be caused by complex compounds such as lactones.[71] Lactones, which are also found in peaches and coconuts, are more abundant in Wagyu beef, and their aroma increases when the beef is heated.
Wagyu beef grades
Beef grades indicate the meat quality, and in Japan they are determined based on the "Beef Carcass Trade Standards" approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Two factors are used to determine the rating: the yield grade and the meat quality grade.
The yield grade has three levels: A, B, and C, with A being the highest. The meat quality grade has five levels: 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, with 5 being the highest.
Beef is graded in 15 combinations: A1 to A5, B1 to B5, and C1 to C5, with A5 representing the highest quality for both yield and meat quality.
The yield grade refers to the percentage of edible meat in the carcass. The meat quality grade is determined by four criteria: marbling, meat color, firmness and texture, and fat luster and quality.[72]
Beef Grades
Yield Grade
Meat Quality Grade
5
4
3
2
1
A
A5
A4
A3
A2
A1
B
B5
B4
B3
B2
B1
C
C5
C4
C3
C2
C1
International Wagyu
International Wagyu is regulated and promoted through the World Wagyu Council. National Wagyu Day, also referred to as World Wagyu Day, is on June 21 to promote Wagyu by the World Wagyu Council.[73] This day was founded in 2022 by Steve Haddadin and was adopted by the World Wagyu Council and British Wagyu Breeders Association as World Wagyu Day.[74]
Australia
A Wagyu bull in Australia
The Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside Japan.[75] Both fullblood and Wagyu-cross cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets, including Taiwan, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the U.K., France, Germany, Denmark and the U.S.[76] Australian Wagyu cattle are grain fed for the last 300–500 days of production.[citation needed] Wagyu bred in Western Australia's Margaret River region often have red wine added to their feed as well.[77]
United States
In the United States, some Japanese Wagyu cattle are cross-bred with American Angus stock. Meat from this cross-breed may be marketed as "American-Style Kobe Beef",[78] or "Wangus",[79] although many American retailers simply (inaccurately) refer to it as Wagyu. Wagyu were first competitively exhibited at the National Western Stock Show in 2012.[80] Other U.S. Wagyu breeders have full-blooded animals directly descended from original Japanese bloodlines, that are registered through the American Wagyu Association.[81]
In 2008, a herd of Wagyu cattle was imported to North Yorkshire, first becoming available for consumption in 2011.[88] Since 2011, there have been Wagyu herds in Scotland.[89][90][91][92][93] There are British & Irish Wagyu Fullbloods registered through the British Wagyu Breeders Association.[94]
Brazil
Brazilian Wagyu is regulated and promoted by the Brazilian Wagyu Association, a member of the World Wagyu Council.[95]
Germany
German Wagyu is regulated and promoted by the German Wagyu Association, a member of the World Wagyu Council.
South Africa
South African Wagyu is regulated and promoted by the Wagyu Society of South Africa, a member of the World Wagyu Council.
Namibia
Namibian Wagyu is regulated and promoted by the Namibian Wagyu Society, a member of the World Wagyu Council.
New Zealand
New Zealand Wagyu is regulated and promoted by the New Zealand Wagyu Breeders, a member of the World Wagyu Council.
1 2 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (August 2019). "肉用牛の改良増殖をめぐる情勢"[The Situation Concerning the Improvement and Propagation of Beef Cattle](PDF). Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (in Japanese). Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived(PDF) from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
↑ Imai, Kōki (1 December 2013). "天平人の腹をさぐる"[To search the belly of the Tenpyo people]. Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (in Japanese). Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
↑ Matsui, Akira (2009). "肉食の忌避という虚構―動物考古学からの視点―"[The Fiction of Meat Eating Avoidance: A View from Zooarchaeology] (in Japanese). The Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology. doi:10.14890/jasca.2009.0.4.0. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
↑ Tsuchiya, Keizō (October 1994). "ウルグアイ・ラウンド合意と肉牛経営"[Uruguay Round Agreement and Beef Cattle Management]. Monthly Report "Information on Livestock Production" (in Japanese). No.61. Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
↑ "Tajima Gyu / Tajima Beef". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Kobe Beef". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Tokusan Matsusaka Ushi". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Yonezawa Gyu". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Maesawa Gyu". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Miyazaki Beef". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Omi Ushi / Omi Gyu". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Kagoshima Kuroushi". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Kumamoto Akaushi". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ "Hiba Gyu". Information Website on Japan's Geographical Indications. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
↑ T. Gotoh; E. Albrecht; F. Teuscher; K. Kawabata; K. Sakashita; H. Iwamoto; J. Wegner (2009). "Differences in muscle and fat accretion in Japanese Black and European cattle". Meat Science. 82 (3): 300–308. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.01.026.
↑ "幻の和牛「竹の谷蔓牛」を導入 幕別の法人"[Introducing "TakenoTani Tsuru Cattle", a fantastic Japanese cattle]. Tokachi Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 2 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
↑ Houston, Jack (2 August 2019). "The rarest steak in the world can cost over $300". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2021. Several US restaurants are serving hybrid "wangus" beef from domestically raised wagyu and Angus cows.
Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 and a geographic area of 8,400 square kilometres. Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, and Okayama and Tottori prefectures to the west.
Kobe beef is Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture around Kobe city, according to rules set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association. The meat is a delicacy, valued for its flavour, tenderness and fatty, well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, sashimi, and teppanyaki. Within Japan, Kobe is one of the three Sandai Wagyū, the "three big beefs", along with Matsusaka beef and Ōmi beef or Yonezawa beef.
The Dairy Shorthorn is a British breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the Shorthorn cattle of Teesside, in the North Riding of Yorkshire and in Northumbria in north-eastern England. The Shorthorn was for this reason at first known as the Durham or Teeswater.
The Murray Grey is an Australian breed of polled beef cattle. It originated between 1905 and 1917 in the upper Murray River valley, on the border between New South Wales and Victoria. It is similar in appearance to the Aberdeen Angus, from which it largely derives, but is grey, silver or dun in colour.
The Mishima is a critically-endangered Japanese breed of beef cattle. It is found only on Mishima Island, some 50 km (31 mi) north-west of Hagi, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of two small populations that have never been cross-bred with Western cattle, the other being the Kuchinoshima breed from Kuchinoshima island in the Tokara Island group.
Beef is a key component of traditional Argentine cuisine. In 2019, Argentina was the 4th largest producer of beef, with a production of 3 million tons.
Matsusaka beef is the meat of Japanese Black cattle reared under strict conditions in the Matsusaka region of Mie in Japan. It has a high fat-to-meat ratio. Within Japan, Matsusaka is one of the three Sandai Wagyū, the "three big beefs", the others being Kobe beef and Ōmi beef or Yonezawa beef. About 2,500 cows are slaughtered for Matsusaka beef each year; the meat commands high prices.
The Japanese Black is a Japanese breed of beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Brown, the Japanese Polled and the Japanese Shorthorn. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe. In the case of the Japanese Black, the foreign influence was from European breeds including Braunvieh, Shorthorn, Devon, Simmental, Ayrshire and Holstein.
The Australian Charbray is an Australian breed of cattle derived from a cross between the French Charolais cattle and American Brahman cattle. The charbray breed was first conceived in the United States of America in the 1930s and later introduced into Australia in 1969. In Australia, Australian charbray breeders are concentrated in the tropical Northern regions of Queensland. As of 1977, the official breeder society of Charbray cattle in Australia and New Zealand is the Charbray Society of Australia Limited, responsible for recording Charbray cattle in herd books, fostering improvement, enhancement and sales of Charbray cattle.
The Japanese Brown is a breed of small Japanese beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Polled and the Japanese Shorthorn. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe. In the case of the Japanese Brown, the principal foreign influence was from the Korean Hanwoo and Swiss Simmental breeds.
The Lincoln Red is a British breed of red-coated beef cattle. It originates in, and is named for, the county of Lincolnshire in the eastern Midlands of England. It was selectively bred in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries by crossing large local draught cattle of the region with Teeswater Shorthorns of medium size. It was at first known as the Lincolnshire Red Shorthorn, and was a dual-purpose breed, reared both for milk and for beef. The polling gene was introduced in the early twentieth century, and the cattle are now usually polled; the word 'shorthorn' was dropped from the breed name in 1960. In the twenty-first century it is reared for beef.
The Japan foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2010 occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, affecting cattle, swine, sheep and goats. A similar outbreak had occurred ten years earlier, in 2000. Located on the eastern coast of Japan's Kyūshū island, Miyazaki Prefecture plays a significant role in supplying top-quality Wagyū cattle for the production of Wagyū beef throughout Japan including Matsuzaka and Ōmi. The number of livestock killed was 297,808, and the estimated economic loss was 235 billion yen.
The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) is a large, privately owned, Australian cattle company which operates 14 cattle stations covering over 60,000 km2, managing around 200,000 cattle, throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. It produces beef cattle which are pasture raised and grain finished before sale to Australian meat processors, who onsell beef to domestic and international customers.
Turano-Mongolian cattle are a group of taurine cattle that are found in Northern and Eastern Asia. They are morphologically and genetically distinct from the Near-Eastern group of taurine cattle, from which European cattle are descended; they may have been domesticated independently.
The Japanese Shorthorn is a breed of small Japanese beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Polled.
The Japanese Polled is a critically-endangered breed of small Japanese beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Shorthorn.
The Kuchinoshima is a critically-endangered Japanese breed of small feral cattle. It is found only on Kuchinoshima Island, in the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of two small populations that have never been cross-bred with Western cattle, the other being the Mishima breed from Mishima Island north-west of Hagi, in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Yuanxing is an original Tajima strain's breed of Taiwanese beef cattle. This breed was found and purchased by former President of Taiwan Lee Teng-hui from Qingtiangang Grassland in Yangmingshan National Park in 2016, and originally imported from Japanese colonial government. The breed has originally 19 heads of cattle, and is currently raised in Hualien.
The presence of cattle in Japan dates to about the second century AD, in the Yayoi period – about the same time that the cultivation of rice was introduced.
Ito Ranch (伊藤牧場) is a Matsusaka beef farm located near the city of Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan, dedicated to raising kuroge wagyū or Japanese Black beef. Founded in 1953, as of 2024 it is owned by Hiroki Ito (伊藤浩基), and is claimed by the country's meat industry, and by the specialized foreign press, to be the farm that produces the best meat in Japan, and the world.
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