Raised on a special herb feed including Korean ginseng and mugwort — a brand pork with beautiful marbling, the result of over ten years of meticulous selective breeding.
Shimofuri Herb is a Japanese brand pork (meigara-buta) from Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, managed by Saeki Chikusan. Breed / crossbreeding: Landrace ♀ × (Large White ♀ × Middle Yorkshire ♂) ♂ × Duroc.
Shimofuri Herb is a brand pork that Saeki Chikusan, based in Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, has refined over two generations with uncompromising dedication. The brand name itself directly encodes its two defining features: the beautiful ‘shimofuri’ (marbling / sashi) — rare in pork — and the special herbal feed.
The most distinctive characteristic is the presence of marbling almost never seen in ordinary pork. To produce this marbling consistently, Saeki Chikusan has independently selected Duroc male pigs over more than 10 years, establishing a line that readily develops sashi. Through 100% artificial insemination using carefully selected semen, the uniformity of quality is rigorously pursued.
The feed approach is also distinctive. A special herbal mixed feed — the standard compound feed enriched with mugwort powder, brewer’s yeast, ginger, houttuynia, and Korean ginseng — is given to both breeding pigs and fattening pigs. This special feed draws out the pig’s natural vitality and supports healthy growth — contributing to an extremely low characteristic pork off-odor and a clean, refreshing umami.
When eaten, the lean is moist and tender, and the fat is sweet with a refreshingly clean finish — the quality of the fat in particular stands out. The character of the fat is especially vivid in shabu-shabu, and it is also highly praised as a loin cutlet. It is distributed on a limited basis, primarily through restaurants in Ibaraki Prefecture and tonkatsu and shabu-shabu specialty restaurants in Tokyo, as a carefully curated premium pork.
Basic Information
- Name
Shimofuri Herb - Production Area
Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture - Management Body
Saeki Chikusan - Breed / Crossbreeding
Landrace ♀ × (Large White ♀ × Middle Yorkshire ♂) ♂ × Duroc / Female (Large White ♀ × Berkshire ♂) × Male Duroc (Duroc sires selected in-house for over 10 years) - Meat Characteristics
Rare beautiful marbling (shimofuri) unusual in pork. Very low gaminess; lean meat is soft and fat is sweet with a clean, light finish. - Feed Characteristics
Standard compound feed supplemented with mugwort powder, brewer’s yeast, ginger, houttuynia cordata, and Korean ginseng — a proprietary herb blend. - Shipping Age
Approx. 180 days - Annual Production
Limited distribution at restaurants in Ibaraki and specialty tonkatsu/shabu-shabu shops in Tokyo - Signature Dish
Shabu-shabu, loin cutlet - Certifications
Trademark registered: December 21, 2007 - Related URLs
Saeki Chikusan / Shimofuri Herb
Shimofuri Herb | Brand Pork Database - Source
Branded Pork Guidebook 2026, p.59
Saeki Chikusan / Shimofuri Herb
Brand Pork Database
Related brand pork
Last updated
6/21/2026
