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The Daily Insight

Is Miyazaki Wagyu better than Kobe?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Updated on April 03, 2026

To sum it up, Wagyu is the umbrella term used for the highest quality of four breeds of Japanese beef. While Kobe-gyu might be more famous, Miyazaki-gyu has won the first place at the Wagyu-Olympics three consecutive times, therefore rightfully able to proclaim itself as the best Wagyu in the world.

Is Hokkaido Wagyu the best?

Hokkaido Brand Wagyu is distinguished by its tenderness, healthiness, and its delicious marbling. The marbling, color and luster, firmness and texture of Hokkaido’s Wagyu are all of the highest rank.

What is the difference between Kobe beef and Wagyu?

Wagyu means “Japanese cow” – “Wa” for cow, “Gyu” for cow – and refers to four specific breeds of Japanese cows: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn. Kobe beef is Wagyu beef, but only from cows born, raised and slaughtered in the actual city of Kobe, in the Hyōgo prefecture of Japan.

What is Hokkaido beef?

The Japanese Black Wagyu cattle are raised at Chateau Uenae Lake Farm, a private reserve in Hokkaido, which is the northernmost part of Japan where it gets very cold. The cold climate is what creates the unique meat quality and allows the beef to become as delicate as a snowflake, thus the name Snow Beef.

Is Miyazaki beef the best?

The greatest rating it can earn is A5 – the highest-quality beef possible. The price of imported Miyazaki A5 Wagyu is around $100 or more per pound. Even at this price, this delectable meat is highly sought-after by five-star restaurants, world-class steakhouses, and foodies.

Is Miyazaki Wagyu the best?

At a national competition that is held every 5 years and often referred to as the Olympics of Wagyu Beef, Miyazaki Beef won the top prize of the Prime Ministers Award 3 times consecutively. This means Miyazaki Beef held the top spot in Japan for 15 years straight.

Is Hokkaido beef good?

The beef is tender and juicy. Its delicious marbling, beautiful colour, and mouthwatering texture are the reasons that Hokkaido’s Wagyu has high quality. Hence, Hokkaido Brand Wagyu is also healthy. It contains a great deal of proteins, minerals, vitamins, iron, and other various nutrients.

Is Miyazaki Wagyu good?

Miyazaki Wagyu is rated for quality by the Japanese government. The greatest rating it can earn is A5 – the highest-quality beef possible. The price of imported Miyazaki A5 Wagyu is around $100 or more per pound.

What is Wagyu American?

“American Wagyu” beef is the result of cross-breeding Japanese Wagyu with high-quality continental breeds of cattle. They also must be born and raised within the U.S.

What is Iwate Wagyu?

Iwate beef comes from Japanese Shorthorn cattle raised in Iwate prefecture and is one of the unique wagyu brands that aren’t from Japanese Black cattle. It’s characterized by its relatively leaner beef that’s higher in red meat and lower in fat than other wagyu brands, but still incredibly tender and flavorful.