Japan Livestock Industry Association (JLIA), a public interest incorporated association, has debuted a logo type of Wagyu beef (beef of Japanese cattle) for boosting beef exports to overseas markets.
A new logo type of Wagyu beef (right) replaced its former one this January. (© Japan Livestock Industry Association based at Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo)
JLIA plans to gain more recognition for beef produced in Japan among consumers in the international market by making application to foreign countries for the trademark registration in January.
The new logo type was designed to make an English letter of “Japan” bigger than that in the former type.
JLIA’s officials expect that the new logo will be effective for Wagyu beef to avoid being mixed up with “Wagyu beef produced in Australia,” saying “A word of Wagyu has been deleted. But a kanji or Chinese letter of Wagyu is remaining in the logo type. We can make a great impact on international advertisement of Japan’s brand, Wagyu beef, with this new logo.”
Exports of Japanese beef valued 11 billion yen in 2015, ranking first among livestock products, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
An officer of MAFF’s Meat and Egg Division highly hopes that the new logo type will be used to reinforce “an all-Japan sales system” of Wagyu beef.