Kumano Beef
熊野牛 Wakayama
English name: Kumano Beef — no official English name found, so romanised by this site.
Requirements for Kumano Beef: breed — Japanese Black (steers, heifers (never calved)); where raised — raised in Wakayama for at least half of its age at shipment; age — older than 24 months; grade — meat quality grade 3 or higher; yield grade A or B.
Definition — what qualifies
| Breed | Japanese Black Sex / type: steers, heifers (never calved) Sources: [B024] |
|---|---|
| Where it must be raised | Raised in Wakayama for at least half of its age at shipment Sources: [B024] |
| Age / fattening period | Older than 24 months Sources: [B024] |
| Grading | Meat quality grade 3 or higher; yield grade A or B Sources: [B024] |
| Other conditions | Not set (no such requirement in the source) |
Grades follow the Japan Meat Grading Association: yield grade (A–C), meat quality grade (1–5), and marbling as BMS No. (1–12). How Japanese beef is graded →
Compared with other brands
This guide lists 75 beef brands that require Japanese Black cattle. 61 beef brands set a meat quality grade. 49 of them, including Kumano Beef, require grade 3 or higher or something stricter. 17 beef brands set a minimum age, ranging from 18 to 33 months. 24 months ranks 10th from the longest (2 others also use 24).
This guide lists 2 brands from Wakayama (also Kishu Waka Beef). By prefecture →
Compare this brand side by side with others → ・ Find brands by their rules →
Counts cover only the brands in this guide.
Guides
- Does Kobe beef have to be A5? We counted the grading rules of 100 Japanese beef brands
- Heifers, steers, or anything? The sex rules of 100 Japanese beef brands
- Where must Japanese brand beef be raised? We counted the region rules of 100 brands
- How old is Japanese brand beef? We counted the age rules of 100 brands
- What counts as wagyu? Four breeds, born and raised in Japan — and how 100 beef brands break down
Managed by
- Managed by
- Kumano Beef Certification Committee
- Official site
- https://wakayama.lin.gr.jp/trace/teigi.pdf
Other brands from Wakayama
- Kishu Waka BeefBeef brands
About the names
Brand names are proper nouns. English names follow the brand association's official English page first, then the English name in the GI register, and otherwise romanised Japanese plus "Beef", "Wagyu" or "Pork". We never call a non-Wagyu brand Wagyu.
Sources
Sources are in Japanese
- [B024] 熊野牛の定義 — Wakayama Livestock Association ・ Primary source ・ Accessed 2026-09-18