How old is Japanese brand beef? We counted the age rules of 100 brands

Brands with a minimum age (highest first)

These brands set a minimum age in months.

• Yonezawa Gyu: 33 months of age or older
• Mitsunashi Beef: 30 months of age or older; fattened for at least 20 months
• Kakogawa Wagyu: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger
• Kobe Beef: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger
• Sanda Beef: 28 months of age or older; younger than 60 months
• Tajima Beef: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger
• Tosa Rouge Beef: At least 28 months of age guaranteed (29 months or older recommended)
• Awaji Beef: 25 months of age or older
• Tokushima Mitsuboshi Beef: Japanese Black 28 months+, crossbred 25 months+
• Chita Wagyu Homare: 24 months of age or older
• Kumano Beef: Older than 24 months
• Ishigaki Beef: Age at shipment: steers 24–35 months, heifers 24–40 months
• Mikawa Beef: 23 months of age or older
• Kazuno Beef: 22 months of age or older
• Chita Beef Hibiki: 22 months of age or older
• Enshu Yumesaki Beef: 21 months of age or older
• Hakkoda Beef: 18 months of age or older; 36 months or younger

Brands with a maximum age

These brands set an upper age limit, above which the name cannot be used.

• Shiraoi Beef: 36 months or younger
• Tokachi Wakaushi: Shipped at around 14 months, by 16 months at the latest
• Hakkoda Beef: 18 months of age or older; 36 months or younger
• Kakogawa Wagyu: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger
• Kobe Beef: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger
• Sanda Beef: 28 months of age or older; younger than 60 months
• Tajima Beef: 28 months of age or older; 60 months or younger

Brands that set a fattening period

These brands set how long the animal must be fattened rather than its age.

• Hayama Beef: Fattened for at least 12 months on the producing farm
• Hida Beef: Fattened for at least 14 months
• Horai Beef: Fattened for at least 18 months
• Tokusan Matsusaka Ushi: Fattened for at least 900 days (to 38 months of age or older)
• Kameoka Beef: Fattened in Kameoka for at least the 14 months before processing
• Kumamoto Akaushi: Fattened for at least 12 months
• Kumamoto Kuroge Wagyu: Fattened for at least 12 months

Other wording

Brands whose wording, such as an age range at shipment or a raising period, fits none of the above.

• Akita Yuri Beef: If calves come from another area, at least 20 months of raising
• Tsuyama Wagyu: 28 months of age or older, or fattened for roughly 18 months or more

Brands that set no age or fattening period (72)

Shikaoi Beef・Shihoro Beef・Biratori Wagyu・Furano Daichi Wagyu・Aomori Towadako Wagyu・Iwate Beef・Iwate Tankaku Wagyu・Maesawa Beef・Sendai Beef・Akita Beef・Yamagata Beef・Fukushima Beef・Hitachiwagyu Beef・Utsunomiya Beef・Tochigi Kirifuri Kogen Beef・Tochigi Wagyu・Nasu Wagyu・Joshu Beef・Joshu Wagyu・Yokohama Beef・Koshu Beef・Niigata Wagyu・Murakami Beef・Toyama Wagyu Sake Lees Finished Beef・Noto Beef・Wakasa Beef・Shinshu Premium Beef・Minami Shinshu Beef・Shizuoka Sodachi・Atsumi Beef・Kuroshio Beef・Tahara Beef・Iga Beef・Matsusaka Ushi・Omi Beef・Kyoto Beef・Kyo no Niku・Kurodasho Wagyu・Tambasasayama Beef・Kishu Waka Beef・Tohaku Wagyu・Tottori F1・Tottori Gyu・Tottori Wagyu・Tottori Wagyu Olein 55・Oki Beef・Okuizumo Wagyu・Shimane Wagyu・Okayama Wagyu・Chiya Beef・Bichu Beef・Jinseki Beef・Hiba Gyu・Hiroshima Beef・Yamaguchi Wagyu Kirameki・Awa Beef・Olive-fed Wagyu Beef・Sanuki Beef・Iyo Beef Kinu no Aji・Tosa Akaushi・Tosa Wagyu・Hakata Wagyu・Saga Beef・Nagasaki Wagyu・Amakusa Kuroushi・Oita Bungo Beef・Oita Wagyu・Takachiho Beef・Miyakonojo Wagyu・Miyazaki Beef・Miyazaki Herb Beef・Kagoshima Wagyu

How we counted

We counted conditions written in each brand's source as an age, a fattening period or a raising period. Approximate wording such as "about" or "around" is given as the source states it, as are ages that differ by sex.