| Since the 20th century, Japan has been exporting the best Wagyu beef in the world, highlighting flavors and textures that have a playful time with our palates in every tender, buttery, full-bodied and well-balanced bite. Shop our Wagyu collection to experience this delicious taste yourself! |
Where it all Begins
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We are traveling to the far south island of Japan called Kyushu, with the capital city of Kagoshima—a seaside city best known for Sakurajima, a massive active Volcano that faces Kinko Bay and Japanese Wagyu farms. Although the island boasts many other fascinating areas such as the Mononoke Forest in Yakushima, Cape Sata and Lake Ikeda, we will focus on the dense, green forests that make the island an amazing location to raise some of the best beef cattle the world has ever known. With a temperate climate, this heavily forested area provides clean air and fresh spring water for the cattle to grow. |
The Cattle
| In Japan, there are four cattle used for beef—Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn. Ninety percent of Japanese Wagyu comes from Japanese Black Cattle (Kuroge Washu). Here, all Wagyu cattle are given an individual identification number that can be used to track the animal’s information, including sex, date of birth, rearing location, history, and pedigree. |
| These lucky cows are blessed with lots of sunshine, respect and affection as they grow for 2 to 3 years compared to the 8 to 10 months of traditional domestic beef. While American Wagyu or Australian Wagyu share some of the same characteristics as Japanese Wagyu, they do not attain the level of marbling as Japanese A5 Wagyu. It is also worth stating that American and Australian Wagyu beef comes from crossbred cattle, typically full blood Wagyu with Angus. |  |
Rich Wagyu Marbling
| So how does Wagyu get that delicate, rich marbling in each steak? During the rearing and fattening stages, Wagyu cattle are fed pasture grass and rice straw, an ingredient that holds deep ties to Japan’s rice industry and cultural history. They are also given a compound feed that includes grains of proper nutritional balance rich in carbohydrates, protein and nutrients during different stages of the cattle’s lifecycle to produce the Waygu quality meat and trademark marbling. Shop all of our A5 Wagyu products here. Or, learn more about the A5 difference with our handy educational page! |
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