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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Shogo Takeda: The Hokkaido Breeder Who Sent Wagyu Genetics Abroad

A Japanese Black breeder from Hokkaido became the first inductee of the Australian Wagyu Association Hall of Fame, and one of the most debated names in Wagyu history.

Who was Shogo Takeda?

Shogo Takeda was born in 1928 and raised his cattle at Shiraoi, on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. A tribute from Australia's Pardoo Wagyu credits him as the first person to bring Wagyu cattle to Hokkaido, in 1954, and says his Takeda Farm has bred Japanese Black cattle ever since. Pardoo also calls him a Master Breeder in Japan.

He died in 2023. The tribute is dated 22 March 2023, but the sources consulted do not give an exact date of death or any family detail, so this profile sticks to his breeding and business record.

How did Wagyu get to Hokkaido?

His 1954 move is remembered as a first for Hokkaido. The sources consulted give no detail on where the original cattle came from or how large the early herd was, and they do not describe his first decades of breeding.

What they do show is a breeder who worked within a rotational breeding program and who was willing to share it with overseas partners. The Australian Wagyu Association describes him as having bred Japanese Black Wagyu for more than 50 years before he was honored.

Why did he export Wagyu overseas?

The central, and most debated, part of his career is exports. A feature on how Wagyu went global says he shipped live Wagyu to the United States in a series of exports that ended in 1996, and that he saw them as spreading Wagyu worldwide. The article gives 1992 to 1996 for these shipments, while Pardoo gives specific numbers: 35 females and 5 males in 1995, and 45 females and 6 males in 1996. The two sources differ on the start year.

In 1992 he met David Blackmore, an Australian farmer, and soon began supplying wagyu semen and embryos from his farm. In 1994 the two signed an exclusive export and import agreement for semen and embryos. Blackmore's own account says Takeda offered genetics from about twice as many cattle as other exporters to the US, and asked him to deal only with Takeda.

The controversy over the exports

Not everyone in Japan agreed with him. The nippon.com article says other Japanese growers saw the exports as giving away the industry's crown jewels. The Wagyu Registry Association told him to stop, and expelled him in 1997 when he refused. The article stresses that his exports broke no law or regulation, and that opinion about him is mixed: some praise him for promoting Japanese food culture abroad, others criticize the sale of what could be seen as a shared asset.

In 1999 Japan cut off exports of Wagyu cattle and semen to the US, after 22 years of supplying them, a total of 247 cattle and 13,000 semen doses. That ended the window in which Takeda's shipments took place.

The Key to Takeda's Success

The record shows a breeder whose influence outside Japan came from steady partnerships more than from publicity. It also shows the price he paid at home.

Costs belong in the picture: he was expelled from his national registry, and the sources do not say how that affected his farm.

  • He bred one type, Japanese Black, in a rotational breeding program over more than 50 years.
  • He picked partners early: Australian buyers were the first to take his genetics, and he supplied Blackmore from 1992.
  • He used a formal contract, signing the 1994 exclusive semen and embryo agreement with Blackmore.
  • He offered live cattle and genetics from a large pool, which Blackmore's account says was about twice the numbers other exporters offered.
  • He stayed with his partners: Blackmore says they worked together for close to 30 years, and he visited Pardoo's Pilbara property many times.

Takeda and Australia: Blackmore, Pardoo and the Hall of Fame

David Blackmore's Hall of Fame profile says Blackmore formed Blackmore Wagyu in 1990 and later worked with Takeda for close to 30 years. Pardoo says Takeda supported its Wagyu vision from the start and shared breeding knowledge and foundation genetics.

In 2015 the Australian Wagyu Association honour roll named him its first Hall of Fame inductee, for breeding Japanese Black Wagyu for more than 50 years and helping to release Wagyu genetics to the world. The same page lists him among members recognized for 25 years of membership in 2022. For more cattle history, visit the ranching section of farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about Wagyu cattle.

Timeline

  1. 1928Born; later based at Shiraoi, Hokkaido
  2. 1954Credited as first to bring Wagyu cattle to Hokkaido
  3. 1992Meets Australian farmer David Blackmore and begins supplying semen and embryos
  4. 1994Signs exclusive semen and embryo agreement with Blackmore
  5. 1995Exports 35 females and 5 males to the USA
  6. 1996Exports 45 females and 6 males to the USA
  7. 1997Expelled from the Wagyu Registry Association
  8. 2015First inductee of the Australian Wagyu Association Hall of Fame
  9. 2023Dies

Frequently asked questions

Who was Shogo Takeda?

He was a Wagyu breeder from Shiraoi, Hokkaido, born in 1928, who is credited with bringing Wagyu to Hokkaido in 1954 and who exported Wagyu cattle and genetics to the USA and Australia. He died in 2023.

Why was Takeda expelled from the Wagyu Registry Association?

According to nippon.com, the association told him to stop exporting live Wagyu, and expelled him in 1997 when he refused. The article notes his exports broke no law or regulation.

What is Takeda's link to David Blackmore?

Takeda met Blackmore in 1992 and supplied Wagyu semen and embryos. They signed an exclusive agreement in 1994 and worked together for close to 30 years, according to Blackmore's profile.

What honor did Takeda receive in Australia?

He was the first inductee of the Australian Wagyu Association Hall of Fame, in 2015, recognized for breeding Japanese Black Wagyu for more than 50 years.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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