Yonezawa Beef (A5)

Yonezawa Gyu (米沢牛) · Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
Meat & Seafood Wagyu Chilled Growing export

A historic 'three great wagyu of Japan' contender (often grouped with Kobe/Matsusaka regionally), twice a 'Wagyu Olympics' winner and noted as a popular export. Strict quality assessment governs certification; fine texture and sweetness define the brand.

The supplierBrand-certified by the Yonezawa Beef council (Yamagata). One of Japan's renowned heritage Wagyu brands from cold-climate fattening. Typical: registered farms with individual-ID; export via Tohoku-licensed establishments.
Why it sells abroadStoried 'Three Great Wagyu' contender; smooth, low-melt-point fat from cold-climate raising — prestige hook for connoisseur HORECA.

Buyer's brief ✓ SOURCES VERIFIED

CertificationsYonezawa Gyu brand certification + traceability (confirmed): GI-registered; producers must be certified by the Yonezawa Beef Brand Promotion Council and based in the Okitama region (Yamagata); BMS-graded carcasses; HACCP-based sanitary control introduced at Yonezawa Meat Corporation carcass-processing lines (Sept 2016). EU-approved establishment / US-FSIS / FSSC 22000 / halal: not publicly verified at brand level.
Pack formatsVac-pac primals/portion steaks individually sealed with cattle-ID; ~5-10kg/carton.
Shelf lifeChilled vac-pac: ~30-45 days at 0-2°C (typical). Frozen: ~12-18 months at -18°C (typical).
StorageChilled 0-2°C or frozen -18°C or below.
Minimum orderTypical: a few hundred kg chilled air; FCL frozen.
Lead timeTypical: 2-4 weeks incl. export health certificate.
CapacityTypical: limited heritage output.
Container loadTypical: chilled airfreight; frozen reefer 20ft (~8-10t)/40ft (~24-26t).
PricingEstimate: ultra-premium — Typical $150-350+/kg FOB premium cuts.
OEM / private labelBrand only; spec portioning available.
Wholesale & MOQChilled primals airfreight to premium Asian/US foodservice; limited allocation.
Key exporters & distributorsYonezawa beef council, Zen-Noh / JA ZEN-NOH Meat Foods
Export regulationStandard wagyu regime (approved abattoir, AQS hygiene cert, 10-digit traceability); brand certification via quality assessment.
Market demandFine-dining HORECA in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, US, Thailand.
How to source itYonezawa Beef Brand Promotion Council → Tohoku/Yamagata-licensed export abattoirs (Yonezawa Meat Corp.); JETRO; FOODEX JAPAN.
Verified sourceshttps://www.yonesyoku.com/english/about.html; https://traveladdict-japan.com/what-is-yonezawa-beef/
MakerVarious (brand-certified) — Yonezawa beef council, Yamagata
OriginYonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
CategoryMeat & Seafood / Wagyu
Available inHK, TW, SG +2 more
HandlingChilled
Price tierPremium
ChannelFoodservice
Export readinessGrowing export
HS code0201 / 0202
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Profile maintained by Japonity (japonity.com), May 2026. General sourcing information only — confirm current availability, pricing, MOQ and the destination market's import rules with the maker or exporter before contracting. Japonity is not affiliated with this brand.