Does Kobe beef have to be A5? We counted the grading rules of 100 Japanese beef brands

What the brands require

• Quality grade 5 only1 brand

  Sendai Beef

• Quality grade 4 or higher23 brands
• Quality grade 3 or higher25 brands
• Quality grade 2 or higher12 brands
• Other forms (BMS only, own scale, or a grade range)7 brands
• No grading condition32 brands

How Japanese beef is graded →

What Kobe beef requires

The Geographical Indication specification for Kobe beef sets these grading conditions:

• Meat quality grade 4 or higher; yield grade A or B; BMS No. 6 or higher

Provided the other conditions, such as breed and place of rearing, are also met, a carcass that reaches these grades is Kobe beef even if it is not A5. Kobe Beef →

Sources: 地理的表示 登録番号第3号「神戸ビーフ」明細書 — Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (GI) ・ Accessed 2026-09-18

Brands with no grading condition at all

32 brands set no grading condition in their definition; they are defined by breed, place of rearing, rearing period and the like instead.

Shikaoi Beef・Shihoro Beef・Tokachi Wakaushi・Biratori Wagyu・Kazuno Beef・Tochigi Kirifuri Kogen Beef・Minami Shinshu Beef・Atsumi Beef・Tahara Beef・Chita Beef Hibiki・Iga Beef・Tokusan Matsusaka Ushi・Matsusaka Ushi・Omi Beef・Kameoka Beef・Kyo no Niku・Kurodasho Wagyu・Sanda Beef・Tambasasayama Beef・Tohaku Wagyu・Oki Beef・Okuizumo Wagyu・Jinseki Beef・Olive-fed Wagyu Beef・Tosa Akaushi・Tosa Wagyu・Nagasaki Wagyu・Amakusa Kuroushi・Oita Bungo Beef・Miyakonojo Wagyu・Miyazaki Herb Beef・Kagoshima Wagyu

Reading a label or a menu

On a menu, "A5" is the grade and the brand is something else; the two are decided separately. An A5 carcass is not necessarily a branded beef, and a branded beef is not necessarily A5. Each brand page on this site lists its conditions with sources.