Kitanoshiharebuta

Raised on the land of Tokachi, Hokkaido, and flash-frozen under sub-zero management to lock in the umami — a brand pork of the north

Kitanoshiharebuta is a Japanese brand pork (meigara-buta) from Hokkaido, managed by Tokachinofoods Company Ltd.

Kitanoshiharebuta was nurtured amid the vast land and clear air of Tokachi, Hokkaido. ‘Shibare’ means ‘to freeze’ in Hokkaido dialect — a brand pork whose name carries the harshness and blessings unique to a land of extreme cold. Processing and sales are handled by Tokachinofoods Company Ltd., headquartered in Nakasatsunai Village, Kasai District, Hokkaido. Under its founding spirit of ‘delivering good-quality meat at a reasonable price’, the company continues to communicate the appeal of Tokachi pork nationwide.

The greatest feature Kitanoshiharebuta boasts is thorough low-temperature management that begins immediately after slaughter. Right after processing, the meat is frozen and stored in a quick-freezing freezer, and in the subsequent processing steps the work proceeds carefully while keeping the raw material below freezing. When slicing, specialist staff check each piece for color, aroma, firmness, marbling, amount of fat, and the presence of blood spots or sinew, and only cuts that clear the company’s strict standards are weighed by hand and vacuum-packed. Thanks to this thorough quality control, there is extremely little drip when thawed, and the pork reaches the table with almost none of its umami lost.

The meat is a vivid pink; in the mouth there is no off-odor, and an elegant sweetness and surprising tenderness stand out. The rich texture, with umami spreading gradually with every chew, is another major appeal.

It works widely in everyday dishes such as ginger pork, pork shabu salad, and stir-fries, and pairs outstandingly with butadon, the local pork rice bowl that originated in Obihiro, Hokkaido. It won first place nationwide in the pork category on Furusato Choice, and its overwhelming popularity — more than 60,000 cumulative donors — speaks to the quality.

Basic Information

• Name
  Kitanoshiharebuta
• Production Area
  Hokkaido (farms within Hokkaido)
• Management Body
  Tokachinofoods Company Ltd.
• Breed / Crossbreeding
  N/A
• Meat Characteristics
  Vivid pink color with little off-odor; sweetness and tenderness stand out. Umami spreads with every chew, and very little drip when thawed, so the umami is not lost.
• Feed Characteristics
  N/A
• Shipping Age
  N/A
• Annual Production
  N/A
• Signature Dish
  Butadon (pork rice bowl) / Ginger pork (shogayaki) / Pork shabu salad
• Certifications
  No. 1 nationwide in the pork category on Furusato Choice (over 60,000 cumulative donors)
• Related URLs
  Kitanoshiharebuta – Tokachinofoods
  Tokachinofoods Company Ltd.
• Source
  Kitanoshiharebuta — Tokachinofoods Company
  Tokachinofoods Company Ltd.
  Furusato Choice

Last updated
7/10/2026