Japan’s Miyazaki Wagyu Brings Halal Flavor Worldwide

Imagine a steak so tender it melts like butter in your mouth, raised with care in the green hills of Miyazaki, Japan. This is wagyu beef, some of the best in the world, and now it’s going global in a big way—by becoming halal. Halal means it follows Islamic rules, making it okay for Muslims to eat. Miyazaki’s farmers are working hard to share this amazing beef with Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It’s a huge deal because it mixes Japan’s old traditions with a new way to reach millions of people. But it’s not easy. Let’s dive into how Miyazaki is making this happen, why it matters, and what’s next.

Related:  SE Meat Miyazaki Leads First Halal Wagyu Export to Qatar

What Makes Miyazaki Wagyu So Special?

Miyazaki, a beautiful area in southern Japan, is famous for its wagyu beef. Wagyu is a type of cow that gives meat with tiny streaks of fat, called marbling, that makes it super soft and tasty. Farmers in Miyazaki treat their cows like family, giving them special food like corn and barley and keeping them in calm, happy places. This care makes Miyazaki wagyu top-notch, often called A5, the best grade you can get. A small piece can cost $100 or more because it’s so rare and delicious.

But Japan has a problem. Fewer people in Japan are eating beef because the population is getting older and smaller. Plus, countries like Australia and the U.S. are making their own wagyu, which is cheaper. So, Miyazaki’s farmers decided to sell their beef to other countries, especially where lots of Muslims live. Muslims make up about 1.9 billion people worldwide, and they only eat halal food. In late 2024, Miyazaki sent 200 kilograms of halal wagyu to Saudi Arabia, and earlier shipments went to Qatar and Malaysia. This is just the start.

How Does Wagyu Become Halal?

Making halal wagyu is tricky because it has to follow strict Islamic rules. The cow must be healthy and alive when it’s slaughtered, and a trained Muslim has to do it with a quick cut to the throat while saying a prayer. No pork or alcohol can touch the meat, and everything has to be super clean. Miyazaki built a special place in Saito City, called SE Meat Miyazaki, just for halal wagyu. It’s been approved by the Japan Islamic Trust, which checks that everything is done right.

At this facility, Muslim workers handle the slaughter, and the machines are kept separate from other meat to avoid mistakes. The cows eat the same good food as always, but farmers make sure there’s nothing in it that’s not allowed. It costs a lot of money to set this up—millions of dollars for new equipment and training. But it’s worth it. In November 2024, people in Saudi Arabia tried Miyazaki’s halal wagyu at fancy restaurants and loved it. One chef said it was “like eating a dream” because it was so soft and full of flavor.

Other Japanese companies, like Zenkai Meat in Kumamoto and H.M Ryochi Co., have been doing halal wagyu for a while, sending it to places like Dubai. But Miyazaki is special because its beef is so famous, and it’s now making more halal wagyu than ever—15,000 cows a year and counting.

Why Is This So Hard?

Even though it’s exciting, there are big challenges. Every country has its own halal rules. For example, Malaysia and Indonesia are super strict and check everything, from the farm to the packaging. Getting their approval can take months and costs a lot. Also, wagyu is expensive to make because the cows live for about 600 days, much longer than regular cows. Add in shipping and taxes, and the price gets even higher, which can scare off some buyers.

Another problem is that not everyone in Japan knows what halal means. “People hear the word, but they don’t get it,” says a worker at SE Meat Miyazaki. Farmers and workers need training to understand why things like keeping pork away from wagyu is so important. And then there’s competition. Australia makes wagyu that’s not as good but costs less, which some people prefer. Miyazaki fights back by proving its beef is the real deal. Every cow has a special number you can look up to see exactly where it came from, so buyers know they’re getting the best.

Miyazaki’s halal wagyu isn’t just about food—it’s about connecting people. In Japan, restaurants like Sumiyaki Halal Yakiniku in Tokyo are serving halal wagyu to Muslim tourists. You can grill it yourself or eat it in a hot pot, feeling like you’re part of Japanese culture. More Muslims are visiting Japan—experts think 1.2 million will come by 2030—so this is a big deal. In places like Abu Dhabi, chefs are mixing wagyu with local flavors, like making wagyu with rice dishes. It’s a way for Japan and Muslim countries to share their food and ideas.

The money side is huge too. The halal food market is worth $2.3 trillion and growing fast because people in Muslim countries have more money to spend. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates love fancy foods, and Indonesia, with 650 million Muslims, eats $190 billion in halal food every year. Miyazaki is working to sell more there, even making things like wagyu hot dogs to keep prices lower. In January 2025, they signed a $10 million deal to send wagyu to the UAE, and they want to sell three times more by 2027.

Raising wagyu isn’t easy on the environment. Cows need lots of water and food, and they make gases that can hurt the planet. Miyazaki’s farmers are trying to fix this by giving cows special food, like seaweed, that cuts down on those gases. They’re also using less water and better farming tricks. Halal rules care about treating animals kindly, and Miyazaki already does this by giving cows comfy places to live and good food. They’re also being open about how they work, letting people scan codes on the meat to learn about the cow’s life.

Miyazaki is just getting started. They’re planning to send halal wagyu to new places like Kuwait and Brunei. By 2026, their Saito City facility will handle 20,000 cows a year. Japan’s government is helping by giving money to make it easier. But they have to be careful. Making too much wagyu too fast could make it less special, and one mistake with halal rules could ruin everything.

Still, the future looks bright. “We’re sharing a piece of Miyazaki with the world,” says Yonezo Arita, who runs SE Meat Miyazaki. For Muslims, halal wagyu means enjoying Japan’s best beef without worry. For farmers, it’s a way to keep their traditions alive. As this beef lands on plates in cities like Riyadh and Jakarta, it’s clear: Miyazaki’s wagyu is building bridges, one delicious bite at a time.