"Wagyu Olympics" which competes for the excellence of wagyu beef production across Japan, was held in Kagoshima Prefecture until the 10th of October,2022. In the "Breeding" category, three female cattle from Kagoshima Prefecture won the highest prize, the “Prime Minister's Award”. In addition, Kagoshima Prefecture took first place in six out of nine categories and won the title of "Best wagyu in Japan 2022" in overall evaluation.

The competition was held for five days from 6th October in Kirishima City and Minamikyushu City in Kagoshima Prefecture, with approximately 440 heads of cattle exhibited from 41 prefectures. Miyazaki Prefecture won the Prime Minister's Award in the "Meat" category, which evaluates meat quality.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the award ceremony on 10th October and stated, "Wagyu beef is Japan's treasure. We hope that it will continue to be improved and handed down to future generations." Kagoshima Governor Koichi Shiota also responded to interviews after the award ceremony, saying, "We are delighted to be the best in Japan for wagyu beef without question."

The three cattle that won the Prime Minister's Award in the Breeding category were "Yasuko," "Teruhana," and "Saki" from the Kagoshima Ayawa Wagyu Breeding Association. Mr. Sui Fujiyama (47), who raised "Teruhana," said, "I want to leave the (improvement) technology in the region."

The Wagyu Olympics are held once every five years, and producers are highly interested in achieving excellent results, as it leads to improved brand strength. The next competition will be held in Hokkaido in 2027.

Articles from : JIJI.com