When planning a trip to Japan, many travelers have “eating A5 Wagyu” at the top of their list. The A5 rank is the highest grade for Wagyu, and its beautiful marbling (sashi) and melt-in-your-mouth texture are truly a blissful experience.
However, if you are prepared to let go of the concept of “A5” and step into a deeper world of Wagyu, a new discovery and a profound awaits.
This article explores the “true deliciousness” and “essential value” of Wagyu that cannot be measured by the A5 standard alone, and guides you to the one place where you can experience its ultimate form.
The Light and Shadow of the “A5 Myth” – Its Criteria and Its Limits
First, let’s look at why A5-rank Wagyu is so prized. The grading of Wagyu Beef is determined by a yield grade (A, B, C) and a meat quality grade (1-5).
“A5” signifies the highest evaluation in both, with the meat quality grade being judged on four criteria: marbling, meat color and brightness, firmness and texture, and fat color and quality.
This system, with its particular emphasis on the Beef Marbling Standard (BMS), has greatly contributed to the creation of the “melt-in-your-mouth” texture and sweet “Wagyuko” aroma that Japan is famous for.
t is, without a doubt, one of the perfected forms of Wagyu, and its achievements are immeasurable.
However, it is also true that in recent years, voices among true food lovers have begun to question this “A5 supremacy.”
In the past, the “A5” grade was a true symbol of rarity, awarded to only a tiny fraction of all cattle.
However, due to dramatic improvements in production technology, data now shows that over 40% of all Kuroge Wagyu beef are graded as A5.
As a result, the A5 rank is no longer proof of true rarity.
Instead, we have entered an era where a more essential question is being asked: “Within the A5 grade, what is truly superior?”
One reason for this shift is the one-dimensional nature of the taste. While the first few bites of heavily marbled beef are sensational, the richness of the fat can quickly become overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon to hear that “you can’t eat a lot of it.”
The more fundamental issue is the concern that in the pursuit of excessive marbling, the intrinsic “flavor of the red meat” itself has become diluted.
The taste becomes dominated by the sweetness and aroma of the fat, while the powerful character, deep richness, and savory complexity that should come from the meat itself can be difficult to perceive. This is the truth behind what some connoisseurs refer to as the “weakness of A5 Wagyu’s flavor.”
The A5 standard is excellent for measuring the “artistry of fat,” but it is not a ruler for measuring the “depth of umami.”
The Essence of Wagyu Beyond A5
The Takenotani Tsuru Ushi
The “true deliciousness of Wagyu” that we pursue is one focused on the powerful umami and deep aroma of the meat itself – a value different from the A5 standard.
The greatest example of this is the phantom Wagyu, the Takenotani Tsuru Ushi.
The Takenotani Tsuru Ushi is the oldest Tsuru-ushi (distinguished cattle lineage) in Japan, dating back nearly 200 years to the Edo period. While it is a progenitor of many brand-name Wagyu, its meat quality is vastly different from that of modern A5-rank beef.
The true value of the Takenotani Tsuru Ushi lies not in the sweetness or quantity of its fat, but in the richness and aroma of its lean red meat (akami).
With every chew, a savory flavor bursts forth from the muscle fibers, and the aroma of iron and grain, full of life force, fills your senses. It is a pure, powerful deliciousness that does not rely on the weight of fat. If A5 marbling is an experience that “melts in your mouth,” then the Takenotani Tsuru Ushi is an experience where “umami explodes in your mouth.”
This cattle falls outside the “A5” evaluation axis because it does not possess the sheer quantity of marbling that the modern grading system demands. But this in no way means it is not delicious. On the contrary, it can be said to have most purely inherited the “original, powerful deliciousness” of Wagyu’s roots.
Its rarity is also incomparable to A5 Wagyu. With fewer than 100 purebreds in all of Japan and an annual production of just over a dozen animals, this cattle possesses a “specialness” on a completely different dimension from the A5 Wagyu that is widely available on the market.
A New Taste Beyond A5, Born from Tradition and Innovation
The Ibusana Gyu
What about those who don’t want to give up the melt-in-your-mouth texture of A5-rank beef?
The answer to that wish is the Ibusana Gyui, the namesake of our restaurant. The Ibusana Ushi is a miraculous hybrid Wagyu, sired by the legendary Takenotani Tsuru Ushi and born from a hand-picked, modern Kuroge Wagyu dam.
Its purpose is to perfectly fuse the “deep umami and aroma of the red meat” from its Tsuru Ushi heritage with the “high-quality, low-melting-point fat and silky texture” of its modern Kuroge Wagyu parent. The resulting meat has fine marbling perfectly balanced within the lean red meat, creating a harmony of opposing elements: strength and elegance, richness and lightness.
This is not a beef that aims for the highest score within the “A5” framework.
It is the “ultimate Wagyu of a new value system,” born from a fusion of tradition and innovation that redefines the diverse deliciousness that Wagyu can offer.
The harmony woven by the deep layers of umami and the perfect sweetness of its marbling – a taste not found in A5 – will undoubtedly elevate your Wagyu experience to the next level.
Encounter “True Wagyu”
in the Heart of Tokyo
You do not need to travel to a distant production region to encounter the “true Wagyu” that lies beyond the A5 standard.
That place is in the center of Tokyo. From the massive Shinjuku Station, it is just two stops on the Odakyu Line to Sangubashi, a quiet and sophisticated neighborhood adjacent to the lush greenery of Meiji Jingu Shrine and Yoyogi Park.
This is the stage for us, WAGYU YAKINIKU IBUSANA.
We are the only specialty yakiniku restaurant in Japan that serves both the Takenotani Tsuru Ushi and the Ibusana Ushi. Depending on the day’s availability, we offer the unique experience of comparing the powerful red meat of the “Takenotani Tsuru Ushi” with the balanced harmony of the “Ibusana Ushi” at the same table.
This is a gastronomic journey through the past and future of Wagyu.
We certainly do not deny the wonderful experience that A5-rank Wagyu offers. However, if you wish to explore the “true diversity” and “essential value” of Wagyu that lies beyond it, we invite you to visit our restaurant.
An experience that “surpasses A5” surely awaits you.
Reservation & Information
For a special evening and an unforgettable meal, you can make a reservation through the link below.
Reserve Here: https://www.tablecheck.com/en/shops/ibusana/reserve
WAGYU YAKINIKU IBUSANA
Address: 4-10-7 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
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