Japanese Ancestry
There is some indication that Wagyu cattle, a slow-growing Japanese breed known for its high-quality beef, began to evolve into a distinct genetic group approximately 35,000 years ago.
Prior to 1868, though, cattle were considered draft animals in Japan, bred strictly for carrying heavy loads and performing other work-related tasks, such as pulling plows. That changed during the Meiji Restoration.
First Bite
The Meiji Restoration, the political revolution that brought about the demise of Japan's military government, was a time of rapid Westernization. Japan adopted Western science, technology, politics, and, yes, even cuisine.
Emporer Meiji broke with tradition and publicly consumed beef in 1872. This introduced a wave of importation of European and Asian cattle, including Shorthorn, Simmental, and Hanwoo, resulting in a 13-fold increase in the number of cattle in Japan.
By 1910, Japan stopped importing cattle to focus attention on improving native breeds through intra-breeding. Three strains of improved Wagyu cattle were registered in 1944, and a fourth was added in 1957. These four strains are the Japanese Black, Japanese Brown (known in the U.S. as Japanese Red), Shorthorn, and Polled.
First Japanese Imports
Morris Whitney, a genetic researcher at Colorado University, imported four bulls into the United States in 1975: two Black Wagyu named Mazda and Mt. Fuji, and two Red Wagyu named Judo and Rueshaw.
Researchers and ranchers cross-bred the Wagyu with American breeds, including Angus, Holstein, Hereford, and Brangus. The resulting Wagyu crosses are considered American Wagyu, as opposed to full-blood, purebred Japanese Wagyu.
Japanese Exports
By 1991, when there were about 60 Wagyu crosses in the U.S., demand for beef skyrocketed in Japan.
To increase production state-side, 180 more breeding cattle were shipped from Japan.
Americans had not yet grown a taste for Wagyu, so most of the beef produced in the 1990s was exported to Japan.
Shortly thereafter, the Japanese government recognized the value of their purebred, full-blooded Wagyu, declaring the breed a “national treasure” and banning its export in 1997.
The U.S. continued to ship American Wagyu to Japan until 2003, when Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), colloquially referred to as "mad cow disease," was discovered.
American Wagyu Gains Popularity
Americans have since developed a taste for Wagyu. The rich, buttery flavor and tender, juicy texture of American Wagyu have found their way onto the menus of premium steakhouses and fine dining restaurants across the country.
Wagyu is the fastest-growing beef breed in the U.S. The American Wagyu Association estimates that there are 30,000 to 40,000 Wagyu-influenced cattle in the U.S. today. The Wagyu beef market was valued at $2.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $3.75 billion by 2030.
Enjoy American Wagyu Near You
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