Japan picked worst time possible to expand Wagyu beef production

Japan aimed to meet to meet soaring tourist demand for the succulent, perfectly marbled beef, and eventually, to build an export market. Instead, the country’s cold-storage facilities are filling rapidly with the meat, which commands prices as high as $500 a kg in more prosperous times.

Wagyu beef is prized for its tenderness and flavour, which are due to the distinctive intramuscular fat, or marbling.

Japan’s attempt to ramp up production of its Wagyu beef was badly timed, with the Covid-19 crisis hitting sales of such luxury foods hardest.