Sanuki Gyu

Pedigreed Japanese Black raised across Kagawa Prefecture, one of Japan's earliest fattening regions for the breed — begun on the island of Shodoshima around 1882, with the nickname "Sanuki Gyu" said to have settled in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area by the 1910s. Selection today follows set standards for bloodline and fattening period. Strict bloodline management is said to keep the balance of fat and lean from varying much, giving the beef a reputation for consistency.

Starting from that early fattening on Shodoshima, producers across the prefecture raise cattle to standards fixed for bloodline and fattening period. Making use of the islands and coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, fattening has continued in a mild climate — and some cattle meeting the standard are later distinguished further under the name Olive Gyu. Fattening and breeding records are kept for each animal, and even across the scattered producing areas of the Inland Sea islands and coast, one shared standard is said to hold quality steady.

Fattening beginning early, on Shodoshima in the Meiji era, is read as having pushed Kagawa to the forefront of wagyu-fattening regions nationwide. The Seto Inland Sea's mild climate suiting cattle raising is also read as part of the background. The nickname settling in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area by the 1910s can be read as a reputation that took root precisely because fattening had begun so early. A mild Seto Inland Sea climate and a coastal, island setting well served by shipping are read as having let this region refine its fattening technique early through exchange with other areas.