Mikawa Beef
みかわ牛 Aichi
English name: Mikawa Beef — no official English name found, so romanised by this site.
Requirements for Mikawa Beef: breed — Wagyu (breed not specified); where raised — fattened for at least a year on certified farms in Aichi and shipped to one of three meat markets in the prefecture; age — 23 months of age or older; grade — meat quality grade 4 or higher.
Definition — what qualifies
| Breed | Wagyu (breed not specified) Sources: [B044] |
|---|---|
| Where it must be raised | Fattened for at least a year on certified farms in Aichi and shipped to one of three meat markets in the prefecture Sources: [B044] |
| Age / fattening period | 23 months of age or older Sources: [B044] |
| Grading | Meat quality grade 4 or higher Sources: [B044] |
| 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 →
When the brand council was formed in 2020 the grading condition was raised from grade 3 to grade 4. The older shippers' association page has no age condition.
Compared with other brands
This guide lists 6 beef brands that require Wagyu (breed not specified) cattle. 61 beef brands set a meat quality grade. 24 of them, including Mikawa Beef, require grade 4 or higher or something stricter. 17 beef brands set a minimum age, ranging from 18 to 33 months. 23 months ranks 13th from the longest.
This guide lists 9 brands from Aichi (also Atsumi Beef, Kuroshio Beef, Tahara Beef, Chita Beef Hibiki, Chita Wagyu Homare, Nagoya Cochin, Horai Beef and Mikawa Pork). 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
- Mikawa Beef Brand Promotion Council
- Official site
- https://mikawaushi.com/
Other brands from Aichi
- Atsumi BeefBeef brands
- Kuroshio BeefBeef brands
- Tahara BeefBeef brands
- Chita Beef HibikiBeef brands
- Chita Wagyu HomareBeef brands
- Nagoya CochinJidori and branded chicken
- Horai BeefBeef brands
- Mikawa PorkPork 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
- [B044] みかわ牛の定義 — Aichi Prefecture ・ Primary source ・ Accessed 2026-09-18