Raised on locally grown satsumaimo sweet potato — a rare and precious brand pork from Hokota.
Imo Taro is a brand pork from Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Hokota City is widely known as a sweet potato production area, and the greatest feature of Imo Taro is that locally-grown sweet potatoes are incorporated into the feed used to raise these pigs. By giving sweet potatoes — rich in natural sweetness and starch — alongside standard grain feed, the pork develops a distinctive regional flavor found nowhere else. This approach — directly utilizing a local specialty in the rearing — is what draws out an individuality that sets Imo Taro apart from other brand porks. Rearing with sweet potato-incorporated feed gently suppresses the characteristic gaminess of pork, with the lean developing a soft, moist texture. The fat carries an elegant sweetness and mellow richness — the appeal of savoring the authentic deliciousness of the ingredient at a leisurely pace. The gentle, slowly-spreading umami that lingers after every bite is the gift of nature from a sweet potato production area, pure and simple. Distribution is primarily through specialty meat retailers and restaurants in and around Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture — a region-rooted brand of limited production. Imo Taro is a certified brand pork listed in the Brand Pork Guidebook 2026. The rearing method that makes full use of Hokota’s gift of sweet potatoes, in the spirit of local production for local consumption, embodies the unity of regional agriculture and livestock production. If the opportunity arises, please do try the simple, nourishing flavor nurtured by local sweet potatoes — a slow, deep umami awaits, one that will change your conception of pork.
Basic Information
- Name
Imo Taro - Production Area
Hokota City, Ibaraki - Management Body
Not specified - Breed / Crossbreeding
Not specified - Meat Characteristics
Natural sweetness from sweet potato feed accumulates in the fat, delivering a refined richness. Lean is soft and moist. - Feed Characteristics
Locally grown Hokota City sweet potato (satsumaimo) incorporated into the feed. - Shipping Age
Not specified - Annual Production
Not specified - Signature Dish
Not specified - Certifications
None - Related URLs
Imo Taro | Kotobank (Digital Daijisen Plus) - Source
Brand Pork Guidebook 2026 p.57
Kotobank (Digital Daijisen Plus)
Last updated
June 21, 2026