Raised in Chikusei City, Ibaraki — an authentic brand pork of finely-grained meat and a sweetness of fat that commands attention.
King Houshoku is a proprietary brand pork produced with integrated in-house management from mother pig breeding through to shipment by King Pork Co., Ltd., based in Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Born from a base of Landrace, Large Yorkshire, and Duroc three-breed cross pigs, it has been developed through more than 20 years of independent selective breeding. Particularly emphasized in selection is the condition of the skin and coat. Based on the long-held empirical principle that individuals with thinner skin and shorter, softer coats tend to have superior meat quality, improvement has been continued from both the perspective of external appearance evaluation and flavor — and this is the very core of this brand. Through this approach, a pork with finely-grained, springy meat and a white, smooth fat with an elegant sweetness has been realized. With minimal drip loss and excellent shelf life, the authentic umami of the ingredient is preserved even in cooking — another highly valued quality. Minimal characteristic pork off-odor also makes it easily applicable to a wide range of dishes. The feed uses a specially-ordered feed with a proprietary blend of 15% barley, 25% bread and confectionery powder, and 5% cassava — the pigs eat it eagerly, ensuring stable nutritional intake. From the piglet stage onward, antibiotics are not used and a consistent policy of raising pigs without additives is maintained. All producers use unified breeding pigs and feed, sharing information through regular study sessions — constantly raising overall standards while minimizing quality variation. In simple preparations such as shabu-shabu and thick-cut pork sauté, the authentic flavor of the meat shines most brilliantly. A genuinely capable brand pork from Ibaraki, born of painstaking, accumulated selective breeding.
Basic Information
- Name
King Pork - Production Area
Chikusei City, Ibaraki - Management Body
King Pork Co., Ltd. - Breed / Crossbreeding
Female (Landrace Female × Large White Male) × Male Duroc - Meat Characteristics
Fine-grained, springy lean with pure white, smooth fat. Little off-odor with a refined, mild sweetness. - Feed Characteristics
Custom proprietary feed: 15% barley, 25% breadcrumbs and confectionery flour, 5% cassava. No antibiotics from piglet stage onward. - Shipping Age
180 days - Annual Production
Approx. 30,000 head/year - Signature Dish
Shabu-shabu / Pork saute - Certifications
Trademark registered: May 14, 1999
Brand specification established: December 20, 1999 - Related URLs
King Pork Production Association
Chikusei City Official Site
Ibaraki Shokusai Portal - Source
Brand Pork Guidebook 2026 p.57
King Pork Production Association
Chikusei City Official Site
Ibaraki Shokusai Portal
Last updated
June 21, 2026