The short answer: Omi beef (Omi-gyu) is Japanese Black cattle raised longest and last in Shiga prefecture and fattened to the prefecture's husbandry manual. Certified Omi beef must also grade A4 or B4 or better and come from a member farm. Shiga has records of beef production back to the Edo period, and in the Meiji era its cattle were sold as Kobe beef.
What is Omi beef?
Omi beef, or Omi-gyu (近江牛), is a regional brand of Japanese Black beef from Shiga prefecture, around Lake Biwa. It comes in two layers:
| Omi beef (GI) | Certified Omi beef | |
|---|---|---|
| Breed | Japanese Black [1] | Japanese Black [2] |
| Where | Raised longest and last in Shiga [1] | Same, from a council member farm [2] |
| How | Fattened to Shiga's Omi beef husbandry manual [1] | Same |
| Grade | No minimum [1] | A4 or B4 or better [2] |
| Processing | Not specified | Slaughtered and graded at the Shiga meat center or Tokyo's Shibaura market [2] |
| Paperwork | — | Certificate and seal [2] |
Omi beef has been a registered Geographical Indication since 2017 [1]. Shiga kept 17,004 Omi beef cattle in fiscal 2023 [5], and the council lists about 80 designated farms [4].
Where does Omi beef come from?
A long history. The Omi beef council traces miso-pickled beef made in the Hikone domain to 1687, and gifts of beef to the shogun from 1781 [3]. In the Meiji era, Omi cattle shipped through Kobe's port were sold as Kobe beef. The name "Omi beef" came into use after the Tokaido railway line opened in 1889 [3].
The GI's feed rule is about roughage: from mid-fattening, it should be mainly rice straw [1]. It doesn't say where the straw comes from.
How traceable is Omi beef?
Certified Omi beef comes with a certificate and seal, and the council runs a lookup for certified animals [2]. Every Japanese animal also has a 10-digit ID you can check in the national registry [7], though the registry shows the keeper's name only with the keeper's consent [6]. In a US shop or restaurant you'll usually learn the brand and the grade, not the farm or how it raised the animal. Some importers and restaurants make a point of passing it on; most of the time it's lost somewhere between the farm and the plate.
How does Omi beef compare with Peak Wagyu?
Both are Japanese Black, raised in Japan and graded by the same graders. The brand vouches for Shiga; we vouch for one farm and one cow.
| Certified Omi beef | Peak Wagyu | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | One of about 80 member farms in Shiga [2][4] | Takeda Farm, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
| Grade | A4/B4 or better [2] | A4, BMS 6 |
| The animal | Certificate and 10-digit ID [2] | Takemitsu-chan, ID 1493019197, grading certificate published |
| The farm | Not usually named to the buyer | Named, and we've visited |
| Feed | Mainly rice straw from mid-fattening [1] | About half Hokkaido-grown hay, plus oats and rice bran from Asahikawa mochi barley |
| Welfare | Shiga's husbandry manual [1] | Spacious barn, every cow named, no growth hormones, sent off before maximum weight |
Ellie Takeda and her mother, Tomoko, raise a small herd in Asahikawa. Ellie visits her cows several times a day and ships them before they reach maximum weight, while they can still move easily. Takemitsu-chan graded A4, BMS 6: marbled above the ceiling of USDA Prime, balanced enough to eat as a whole steak. How are Wagyu cows raised? has the rest.
Where can you buy Omi beef?
Mostly in Japan, around Shiga and Kyoto. Some Omi beef is exported, including to the US. Wherever you buy it, ask for the certificate and the 10-digit ID; how to tell if Wagyu is real shows how to check them.
Frequently asked questions
What grade is Omi beef?
The Omi beef Geographical Indication sets no grade. Certified Omi beef, a tier run by the Omi beef council, must grade A4 or B4 or better, come from a member farm, and be slaughtered and graded at the Shiga meat center or Tokyo's Shibaura market.
Is Omi beef older than Kobe beef?
Shiga's beef history is older. The Omi beef council traces miso-pickled beef in the Hikone domain to 1687, and in the Meiji era Omi cattle shipped through Kobe's port were sold as Kobe beef. The name "Omi beef" came into use after the Tokaido railway opened in 1889.
Is Omi beef one of the three great Wagyu?
It's often listed with Kobe and Matsusaka as one of Japan's "three great Wagyu" (sandai wagyu). The grouping is a popular tradition, not an official ranking; every Wagyu in Japan is graded on the same JMGA scale.
How much Omi beef is there?
Shiga had 17,004 Omi beef cattle on hand in fiscal 2023, across a beef herd of about 22,800 at 90 farms.
Sources
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), GI register No. 56, "近江牛 (Omi-gyu)" (2017)
- Omi beef production and distribution council, definition and certification
- Omi beef production and distribution council, history
- Omi beef production and distribution council, designated farms
- Shiga Prefectural Assembly, livestock committee materials (FY2023 Omi beef herd)
- MAFF, sample screen and disclosure rules for the cattle traceability lookup
- National Livestock Breeding Center, individual cattle identification lookup
