Wagyu Travel Guide

Among the most expensive on the planet, Japan’s wagyu beef is famous worldwide for its long tradition of supreme meat quality. Dripping with flavor and unmatched in texture, premium wagyu beef comes from Japan’s four native cattle breeds including Japanese black, brown, polled, and shorthorn purebreds. World-class kuroge (Japanese black) cows make up 90% of mouthwatering wagyu in Japan, proudly branded by production area, with some qualifying as top-graded A5 beef like Kobe beef (now one of the most famous in the world) and Matsuzaka beef (a prominent household name). Despite myths about being massaged and receiving a daily dose of beer, the conditions and quality of wagyu certainly mean it’s pricey for just a few hundred grams.

Succulent and highly marbled, wagyu is defined by its fine texture that melts in the mouth. Throughout Japan’s history there have been bans on meat consumption in alignment with religious beliefs, but restrictions were lifted for good during the Meiji Period, under the influence of Westernization. Grilled with yakiniku or dipped in a shabu shabu hot pot, different cuts work well in a range of delicious Japanese dishes, notably beautiful when served as a juicy steak, lovingly seared on a teppanyaki hot plate. Join one of our wagyu experiences and grill your own wagyu during a dining experience, or learn how to make wagyu sukiyaki in a cooking class. Unbelievably tender, this game-changing beef is a must-try in Japan.