NAGANO, Oct. 24 — Greenland Shinshu, a manufacturer of feed and organic fertilizers based in the town of Minowa, Nagano Prefecture, offers Japanese hot pot dishes such as sukiyaki and shabu-shabu using F1 beef — wagyu beef crossed with another breed — and dairy beef at its restaurant in the town.
The restaurant, which opened in May, has been posting strong sales, as the Momiji brand beef produced by a local dairy farm from cattle raised with locally-made feed is proving popular because it is more affordable compared with Japanese Black wagyu beef.
The restaurant, named Kuroge-gyu Restaurant Aisu Kobo, is located on the first floor of a complex facility, formerly a branch office of JA Kamiina, a local agricultural cooperative.
The president of Greenland Shinshu which runs the restaurant is a dairy farmer who raises some 200 F1 cattle and dairy cows in Minowa, as well as manufacturing feed and organic compost.
The farm produces dry grass, corn and rice for feed, and focuses on production of safe beef raised with self-made feed.
The restaurant offers meat dishes using F1 and dairy beef produced at the farm.
The sukiyaki beef and vegetable pot, which offers both F1 and dairy beef in a 1,500-yen set meal, is selling particularly well.
The firm said it hopes people will enjoy tasting the beef that is also good for the health.
A restaurant in Minowa, Nagano Prefecture, is proving popular among local residents and tourists as a place promoting local agriculture and specialties.