Kawamura Daiki and the Sendai Beef of Kawamura Farm in Ishinomaki
A third-generation farmer in Miyagi turned a Holstein fattening business into a Japanese Black operation that took national carcass honors two years running.
Who Is Kawamura Daiki?
Kawamura Daiki is the third-generation head of Kawamura Farm in Ishinomaki, in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's northeast coast. His grandfather started the farm as a fattening operation, which means buying calves and raising them for beef. This profile draws on one detailed interview, published by Nihonmono, an English-language Japanese regional food and craft site, and is limited to his public record as a farmer.
The farm began with Holstein cattle and later shifted to Japanese Black, the Wagyu type. Its herd grew partly through livestock trading with neighboring farmers. The article does not state the total number of cattle.
Two National Prizes in 2016 and 2017
The farm's cattle won the top honorary prize at the National Beef Cattle Carcass Competition in 2016 and again in 2017, selected from about 500 cattle nationwide. Judges looked at marbling, meat tenderness and fat quality.
Japan runs several national contests of this sort. In Tottori, for example, the Hoki Maeda Farm profile describes a national Wagyu show held once every five years and judged across eight divisions covering appearance and meat quality. In Miyazaki, the MAFF profile of Fukunaga Farm notes steer-fattening championships at the national Wagyu competition. Kawamura's wins came in a different carcass contest, but they sit in the same national culture of competition.
How the Cattle Are Raised
The cattle are raised in barns rather than pastured, so the environment and diet can be controlled. The farm has four barns with different management approaches and uses three feed formulas matched to the animals' growth stages. It also plays music to help the cattle relax and eat.
Kawamura estimates that about 70 percent of beef quality comes from pedigree, so he buys calves from sires with strong bloodlines. The other 30 percent, in his view, comes from careful husbandry.
What Is Sendai Beef?
Only A5-grade beef can carry the Sendai beef name. Kawamura aims for a marbling grade of 10 or higher on the scale he describes, though some customers who have tried grade 12 prefer leaner cuts, a reminder that the highest marbling is not the only taste on the market.
The Key to Kawamura's Success
The documented record points to a farmer who treats beef quality as two inputs, genetics and daily care, and who is willing to change a family business when the market shifts.
The pressures are plain in his own account: rising feed costs, climate change, a shortage of successors, declining domestic meat demand and high calf prices.
- He shifted the farm from Holsteins to Japanese Black, aiming at a premium grade.
- He buys calves from strong bloodlines because he judges pedigree to be about 70 percent of quality.
- He controls diet with three feed formulas matched to growth stages.
- He expands by buying or renting barns from farmers who quit for lack of successors.
- He is exporting beef overseas to offset weaker domestic demand.
Learn More
For more profiles of working cattle farms, see the ranching section of farm.FM, or read a farm.FM story about Wagyu and Japanese Black beef. Because only one detailed source was available, this profile is marked as thin.
Timeline
- Early yearsGrandfather starts the farm as a fattening operation, beginning with Holsteins
- LaterThe farm shifts to Japanese Black cattle and grows through trading with neighbors
- 2016Wins the top honorary prize at the National Beef Cattle Carcass Competition
- 2017Wins the same honor again
- RecentExports beef overseas and takes over barns from quitting farmers
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kawamura Daiki?
Kawamura Daiki is the third-generation head of Kawamura Farm in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan. The farm raises Japanese Black cattle for Sendai beef and won top national carcass honors in 2016 and 2017.
What is Sendai beef?
Sendai beef is the regional beef brand Kawamura raises cattle for in Miyagi. Only A5-grade beef can carry the Sendai beef name, according to Kawamura's account of the standard.
How does Kawamura Farm raise its cattle?
The cattle are barn-raised in four barns with different management approaches, fed three formulas matched to growth stages, and played music to help them relax and eat.
Did Kawamura Farm win national awards?
Yes. Its cattle took the top honorary prize at the National Beef Cattle Carcass Competition in 2016 and 2017, chosen from about 500 cattle nationwide.
Sources and further reading
- Nihonmono: Kawamura Farm, Ishinomaki
- Nihonmono: Hoki Maeda Farm, Tottori
- MAFF: Fukunaga Farm, Miyazaki
Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.
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