The English-language database of Japanese pork
We profile 419 brands of Japanese pork,
one by one.
You know wagyu. Now meet meigara-buta — Japan’s brand pork, raised all across Japan with the same obsessive craft. From Kagoshima’s famed Kurobuta to Okinawa’s native Agu, this is the complete guide in English — the only one of its kind.
Start with the essentials
Three guides that answer the questions everyone asks first.
What Is Japanese Brand Pork (Meigara-buta)? A Complete Beginner’s Guide
Japan has hundreds of named pork brands. Here is what the label actually means.
Read Guide 02Kurobuta Meaning: Japanese Black Pork and Kagoshima Kurobuta
Purebred Berkshire under Japan’s meat labeling standards — and why not everything called kurobuta is the same.
Read Guide 03Which Japanese Brand Pork Makes the Best Tonkatsu? [2026 Guide]
Choosing pork for Japan’s beloved cutlet, by breed, fat and region.
ReadFrom Hokkaido snow farms to Okinawan islands
Every prefecture in Japan raises pork under its own name. Start anywhere.
Four words to know before you order
“Black pig” — purebred Berkshire only, under Japan’s meat labeling standards.
アグーAguOkinawa’s native island breed. Rare, marbled, and fiercely local.
三元豚SangentonThe three-way crossbreed behind most of Japan’s premium pork.
とんかつTonkatsuThe crispy cutlet where brand pork proves itself. Choose wisely.
Original research, not translations
日本語で読みますか？
The full database — all 419 brand profiles with deeper local detail — is also available on our Japanese site.