Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers
Yamanokuchi Naoki: From Miyazaki to Kobe Beef Awards on Awaji Island
A Kyushu-born cattleman built a Tajima operation on Awaji Island from crossbred calves and an uncle's advice.
Who is Yamanokuchi Naoki?
Yamanokuchi Naoki, written Naoki Yamanokuchi in Western order, runs Yamanokuchi Farm in Minami Awaji City, on the south end of Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture. He was born and raised in Miyazaki, in Kyushu, where his family ran an integrated cattle breeding and fattening operation. He moved to Awaji to raise Tajima cattle, the strain used for Kobe Beef.
The profiles used here come from the Kobe Beef producer series and describe his public work only: how he buys, raises and sells cattle, and the show results that followed.
When did he move to Awaji Island?
The 2014 producer profile says he moved from Miyazaki in 2004, where he and his elder brother had run a family cattle farm. The 2016 profile describes the same move as happening 12 years earlier, which agrees with 2004.
His uncle, a well-known Tajima cattle farmer in Kobe City, encouraged the move. Yamanokuchi learned fattening techniques from him and regularly tasted the farm's beef with him.
How did he start a Tajima herd?
Money was tight in the early years. The 2014 profile says he could not afford Tajima cattle at first, so he raised faster-turnover crossbreeds and used the proceeds to expand his Tajima herd step by step. The profile gives no figures for the crossbred sales.
By 2016 the herd was about 120 cattle, a size he described as manageable, with no plans to expand. He bought four female cows about two years before the 2016 article to start breeding, and by the time of the interview had produced four calves.
What does a day at Yamanokuchi Farm look like?
Work starts at 6 a.m., with the mornings spent checking, feeding and treating the cattle. Cows that seem unwell are moved to a separate barn and watched closely. A veterinary-licensed relative in Miyazaki gives advice from a distance.
Each month he buys four to five Tajima calves within his budget, guided by his uncle's teaching and his own instinct, and sells roughly the same number of grown cattle. He also passes cattle manure to neighboring farmers in exchange for vegetables. The kind of care he gives matters for the breed: the 2015 profile of another Tajima farm calls Tajima cows more sensitive than cattle raised elsewhere.
The Key to Yamanokuchi's Success
His record is that of a small, careful producer rather than a large one. The lessons below come from what the two profiles state.
The pages do not give prices, margins or costs, so the economics of the model are not described here.
- He learned from a specialist, taking fattening techniques from his uncle, a well-known Tajima farmer.
- He financed growth with crossbreds, selling them to pay for Tajima cattle.
- He kept the herd at about 120 and said he did not plan to expand.
- He bought calves monthly within budget.
- He isolated sick animals fast and treated them early, and used manure swaps to tie into local farms.
Kyorei Kai awards in 2014 and 2016
He received the Distinction Award at the Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show in 2014 and again in 2016. The 2014 profile calls 2014 one of his best years, when he sold many high-quality cows. The 2016 profile says a cow he raised won that year's Distinction Award and sold for a record price for him. He also regularly produces several A5-12 grade cattle a year.
Yamanokuchi's farm, at about 120 cattle, is far smaller than Ohta Farm's 1,600. To follow more cattle stories from around the world, see the ranching section of farm.FM or read a farm.FM story about Kobe beef.
Timeline
- 2004Moves from Miyazaki to southern Awaji Island
- 2014Wins Distinction Award at Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show; calls it one of his best years
- 2014Buys four female cows to begin breeding, about two years before the 2016 article
- 2016Wins Distinction Award again; the cow sells at a record price for him
- 2016Herd of about 120 cattle, with no plans to expand
Frequently asked questions
Who is Yamanokuchi Naoki?
He is a Kobe Beef farmer on southern Awaji Island, Hyogo. Born in Miyazaki, he moved in 2004 to raise Tajima cattle and has won the Kyorei Kai Distinction Award in 2014 and 2016.
How big is Yamanokuchi Farm?
The 2016 producer profile says he keeps about 120 cattle, a size he can manage, and has no plans to expand. He buys four to five calves and sells about as many each month.
How did he afford Tajima cattle at first?
According to the 2014 profile, he raised faster-turnover crossbreds at first and used the proceeds to expand his Tajima herd gradually.
What is the Kyorei Kai Distinction Award?
It is a top prize at the Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show. Yamanokuchi won it in 2014 and 2016, and other Tajima farmers such as Ohta Katsunori have won it too.
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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