Niigata Wagyu
にいがた和牛 Niigata
English name: Niigata Wagyu — no official English name found, so romanised by this site.
Requirements for Niigata Wagyu: breed — Japanese Black (steers, heifers (never calved)); where raised — fattened in Niigata and raised longest in Niigata; grade — meat quality grade 3 or higher; yield grade A or B. Also: movement history verifiable in the national cattle traceability system. Not specified: age.
Definition — what qualifies
| Breed | Japanese Black Pedigree must be documented Sex / type: steers, heifers (never calved) Sources: [B013] |
|---|---|
| Where it must be raised | Fattened in Niigata and raised longest in Niigata Sources: [B013] |
| Age / fattening period |
Not set (no such requirement in the source) |
| Grading | Meat quality grade 3 or higher; yield grade A or B Sources: [B013] |
| Other conditions |
Movement history verifiable in the national cattle traceability system [B013] |
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 Niigata Wagyu, require grade 3 or higher or something stricter. 72 beef brands set no age or fattening condition, and Niigata Wagyu is one of them.
This guide lists 3 brands from Niigata (also Tsumari Pork and Murakami 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
- Same body, different brands: how 31 Japanese meat brands from 13 bodies differ
- 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
- Niigata Wagyu Promotion Council
- Official site
- https://niigata-chikusan.jp/pages/161/
Other brands from Niigata
- Tsumari PorkPork brands
- Murakami 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
- [B013] にいがた和牛の定義 — Niigata Wagyu Promotion Council ・ Primary source ・ Accessed 2026-09-18
- [B014] にいがた和牛の要件と村上牛の特例 — Niigata Prefecture Livestock Association (secretariat of the Niigata Wagyu Promotion Council) ・ Primary source ・ Accessed 2026-09-28