Imo Taro

Raised on locally grown satsumaimo sweet potato — a rare brand pork from Hokota.

Imo Taro is a Japanese brand pork (meigara-buta) from Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, managed by Taguchi Chikusan. Breed / crossbreeding: Female (Landrace × Large White) × Male: Duroc.

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. This approach — directly utilizing a local specialty in the rearing — is what draws out an individuality found nowhere else.

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 deliciousness of the ingredient itself at a leisurely pace. The gentle, slowly spreading umami that lingers after every bite is nature’s gift itself, from a sweet potato production area.

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 (p.57).

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
  Taguchi Chikusan
• Breed / Crossbreeding
  Female (Landrace × Large White) × Male: Duroc
• 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
  180–200 days
• Annual Production
  Approx. 1,600 head annually
• Signature Dish
  N/A
• Certifications
  Trademark registered: August 22, 2014
• Related URLs
  Imo Taro | Kotobank (Digital Daijisen Plus)
• Source
  Branded Pork Guidebook 2026, p.57
  Kotobank (Digital Daijisen Plus)

Last updated
6/21/2026