Everything you need to know before you order, buy, or bring home Japanese pork — written in Tokyo from official Japanese sources, and available nowhere else in English.
The essentials
New to Japanese brand pork? These guides 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.
Read Guide 04Pork in Japanese: Butaniku (豚肉) — Buta, Ton or Pōku, and the Menu Words
One kanji, two readings — decode tonkatsu, butadon and every pork word on the menu.
Read Guide 05Agu Pork: Okinawa’s Native Japanese Pig — and Why “Agu” and “agu” Are Not the Same Thing
Katakana is the breed, hiragana is a trademark — how to read the word on a menu, and where to eat it.
Read Guide 06Japanese Pork Cuts Explained: Rōsu, Bara, Hire, Katarōsu, Momo — What the Label or Menu Means, and Which Dish Each Cut Is For
The seven retail cuts, which one goes into tonkatsu or kakuni, and which dishes producers recommend for their pork.
Read Guide 07Japanese Pork for First-Time Visitors: What Surprises People, the Dishes to Try (Tonkatsu, Shōgayaki, Okonomiyaki) and How to Eat Them
Pink-centered tonkatsu, paper-thin slices, milky tonkotsu — what travelers notice, the dishes they love, and how to order them.
Read Guide 08Japanese Pork Dishes to Know Before You Go: 15 Names, Photos and How to Order
Tonkatsu, katsudon, butadon, shōgayaki, tonkotsu and ten more — what each is, which town is known for it, and how to order it.
Read Guide 09How to Read a Tonkatsu Menu in Japan: Rōsu or Hire, Grams, Grades and the Pork Brand Line
The four decisions on the menu — the cut, the size, 特・上・並 and set or à la carte — plus the line that names the pork brand, and the ticket machine.
Read Guide 10What Japanese Pigs Eat: Shochu Lees, Green Tea, Plums and More
We read the feed notes on 401 of 419 brand pages: 68 brands name shochu lees, tea leaves, ume, seaweed, natto or kinako — and how that compares with Iberico, Parma and US pork.
Read Guide 11Most Searched Japanese Brand Pork: Top 10 by Google Search Impressions
Which English brand pages were searched for most in October — TOKYO X leads for a second month; the list is updated monthly from Search Console data, and the search terms behind it are explained.
ReadNow find the pork itself
All 419 brands, searchable by region and by name.