Yonezawa Beef: The Story of One of Japan’s Finest Wagyu, and Where to Taste It
- 投稿日：
- 2026年10月22日
Wagyu is one of Japan’s most famous foods. Among the many kinds of wagyu, Yonezawa beef is known as one of the finest in Japan.
Yonezawa beef comes from the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture, centered on the city of Yonezawa. In this article, we share the story of Yonezawa beef, and how to enjoy it at Tofuya Ryokan.
An English teacher who made Yonezawa beef famous
Yonezawa beef became famous thanks to one Englishman.
In 1871, an Englishman named Charles Henry Dallas came to Yonezawa to teach English and geography at Kojokan, the school of the Yonezawa domain. Kojokan was founded by Uesugi Yozan, a wise lord who believed in educating people.
At that time, most Japanese people did not eat beef. The cattle of Yonezawa were mainly used to plow the rice fields.
In 1875, when Dallas finished his work and returned to Yokohama, he took one Yonezawa cow with him. In the foreign settlement of Yokohama, he served the beef to his friends. Everyone loved it, and the name “Yonezawa beef” spread across Japan.
In the same year, on Dallas’s advice, the first beef shop opened in Yonezawa.
A school founded by Uesugi Yozan, and a teacher who came from across the sea. The story of Yonezawa beef began with this meeting.
What is Yonezawa beef?
Only beef that meets strict standards can be called “Yonezawa beef”:
- Japanese Black cattle, female cows that have never given birth
- Raised for the longest time, and last, in the three cities and five towns of the Okitama region
- At least 33 months old
- Meat quality grade of 3 or higher
Japanese beef is graded on a scale of 1 to 5. A5 is the highest grade. Since Yonezawa beef must be grade 3 or higher, A5 Yonezawa beef is the very best of the best.
Long, snowy winters and big differences in temperature between day and night. Cattle raised slowly in this land have fine marbling and sweet fat that melts in your mouth. In 2017, Yonezawa beef was registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) by the Japanese government.
Yonezawa beef at Tofuya Ryokan
At Tofuya Ryokan, we serve A5-grade Yonezawa beef, the highest grade, for dinner as sukiyaki, steak, or shabu-shabu.
Our most popular choice is sukiyaki. Dip the tender Yonezawa beef into an onsen egg cooked in our hot spring water. It is a special dish you can only enjoy in a hot spring town.
Please note before you book
At a ryokan, your dinner is decided when you make your reservation. We prepare each meal in advance, especially for that day’s guests.
For this reason, we cannot change your meal to Yonezawa beef at check-in. If you would like to enjoy Yonezawa beef, please book a plan that includes Yonezawa beef.
A special night in Yonezawa
Soak in a 1,200-year-old hot spring, then taste the Yonezawa beef that Uesugi Yozan’s school and Charles Henry Dallas brought to the world. It is a special night you can only have in Yonezawa.
Read more: A Ryokan Is Not a Hotel / How to Enjoy a Japanese Onsen / How to Get to Yonezawa from Tokyo