Meat
Japanese Polled
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Japanese Polled (Mukaku Washu) is a rare native Wagyu breed from northern Honshu, especially Aomori, characterised by natural polledness and a black coat. Beef is well marbled with a distinctive rich flavour often described as more savoury and less ultra-soft than top Japanese Black, reflecting smaller herd size and regional finishing practices. Numbers remain low compared with Japanese Black and Brown, making Japanese Polled a conservation priority and a specialty product when available. Carcasses are graded within the Japanese system and sold mainly through regional and premium channels rather than mass export brands.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Polled black cattle existed in northern Japanese farm systems, valued for ease of handling without horns.
Systematic improvement of polled cattle in Aomori used native stock with limited Aberdeen Angus influence.
Japanese Polled was officially recognised as one of the four improved Wagyu breeds of Japan.
Dominance of Japanese Black commercial production reduced Japanese Polled to a small purebred population.
Prefectural conservation programmes protected remaining Japanese Polled genetics in northern Japan.
Specialty marketing and genetic resource projects maintained Japanese Polled as a rare premium beef type.