Protected local food
Kazuno Beef
かづの牛
Lean beef from Japanese Shorthorn cattle, a rare breed, raised in Kazuno in northern Akita. Low in fat and rich in flavour that builds as you chew.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 30 January 2025
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- かづの牛
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 秋田県鹿角市及び鹿角郡小坂町
A rare breed
Most Japanese beef comes from Japanese Black cattle with heavy marbling. Kazuno beef is Japanese Shorthorn, a rare breed with much less fat and plenty of the free amino acids that give meat its taste. It suits people who prefer lean steak. While shorthorn numbers fall across Japan, shipments from Kazuno are rising.
From mine cattle to pasture
Kazuno, in Akita, was once a mining area that used Nanbu cattle, the ancestors of Japanese Shorthorn, as work animals from the Edo era. Today the cattle graze on mountain pastures in summer and spend winter in barns, fed partly on local feeds such as soy sauce lees, rice silage and apple pulp.
How to eat it
Steak, roast beef or yakiniku show off its chewy texture and deep flavour.
Good to know
- Kazuno is the gateway to Lake Towada and the Hachimantai highlands, good for a road trip in green season or autumn colours.
- In Akita, also try Iburigakko smoked pickles.
Questions travellers ask
How is it different from wagyu like Kobe beef?
It is a different breed, Japanese Shorthorn, with much less marbling. It is lean and chewy with a deep beef flavour.
Where is it raised?
In Kazuno city and Kosaka town, northern Akita Prefecture.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.