Miyazaki Beef

Miyazaki Beef ("Miyazaki Gyu") is the name given to beef derived from the Japanese Black cattle breed raised in Miyazaki Prefecture. To be designated as "Miyazaki Beef," the meat must achieve a Japanese Meat Quality Rating of four or higher. The Japanese Meat Quality Rating is a quality index that grades meat on a scale from one to five, with five being the highest. The overall meat quality score is determined by four criteria: "marbling," "meat color and brightness," "meat firmness and texture," and "fat color, luster, and quality." Miyazaki Beef is characterized by fine marbling.

Production Area and Conditions

The production area for Miyazaki Beef is Miyazaki Prefecture. Miyazaki Prefecture faces the Pacific Ocean and has a coastline stretching 400 kilometers from north to south. The region’s mild climate year-round is influenced by the Kuroshio Current, a warm ocean current flowing through the Pacific Ocean, and the Kyushu Mountains, which block cool northern winds. These climatic conditions have made Miyazaki Prefecture one of the regions in Japan with the highest cattle production.

Breeding and Management Standards

Cattle designated as "Miyazaki Beef" must originate from Japanese Black breeding bulls developed through a program implemented across Miyazaki Prefecture. Additionally, these cattle must be born exclusively within Miyazaki Prefecture. Only cattle that spend the majority of their feeding period in Miyazaki Prefecture and achieve a Japanese Meat Quality Rating of four or higher are eligible for this designation. In 1973, the Miyazaki Wagyu Development Association was established, creating Japan’s first unified management system within the prefecture for the development and management of breeding bulls. A system known as the "Miyazaki Style" was developed through collaboration between industry groups and local government officials across the prefecture to improve beef cattle, and this system remains in use today.

History and Achievements

In 1986, the prefectural government, the JA Miyazaki Economic Federation, and other relevant parties established the "Yoriyoki Miyazaki Beef Council" to create the "Miyazaki Beef" brand. Miyazaki Beef has won the highest award at the National Wagyu Competition in Japan—held every five years for Japanese Black cattle—for three consecutive exhibitions.