Japan has a population of 126.8 million people and with a growing affluent population, export opportunities are increasing.

In 2018, Ireland supplied a total of 15,647t of beef and pork to Japan.

Here’s a closer look at where and how Irish beef is presented to Japanese customers.

Bord Bia hopes to capitalise on the upcoming Rugby World Cup being held in Japan in September and October 2019 as a means of creating better awareness around Ireland and Irish meat and diary products.

Irish grass-fed Tomahawk steak retails at €200/kg in the Hilton, Tokyo.

Irish tongue is promoted in some chains of restaurants as grass-fed, healthy and safe. This is a photo of a menu from a restaurant chain in downtown Tokyo.

Irish beef exports to Japan are dominated by tongue, comprising 85% of last year’s 900t of beef/offal exports. Tongue is seen as a fast and easy product to cook and is popular as a quick cheap lunch.

Japanese consumers are becoming more health conscious and ketogenic diets (low carbohydrate) have experienced huge growth since 2016. Lean meat has an opportunity to capitalise on changing demands.

This is an A5 wagyu steak, the highest grade of marbling and quality on the Japanese grading system. Japanese wagyu or KOBE beef has a distinct high degree of marbling. These steaks retail at €122 each .

Bord Bia has identified Japan as one of its top five priority markets for meat and dairy products.

John Stone Meats Irish tomahawk steak on display in the dry aging cabinet at the Hilton Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

Kitchens in Japan are very small and because of this, baking, roasting and grilling are not easy options in households. Roast beef is fried on a pan first and then boiled in a hotpot style of cooking.

Tongue is cut into thin slices and fried or grilled quickly and served with rice and salad. The package meals above retail for between €12 and €17 per meal.

The Hilton steak menu, with Irish grass-fed steak positioned alongside USA, Australian and Japanese options.