American Akaushi Association: https://www.akaushi.com/
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The Japanese Brown (Japanese: 褐毛和種, Akage Washu or 赤牛, Aka Ushi) is a breed of small Japanese beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Polled and the Japanese Shorthorn. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe. In the case of the Japanese Brown, the principal foreign influence was from the Korean Hanwoo and Swiss Simmental breeds
History (short) of the Breed
For over 100 years the Akaushi breed has been subjected to intense genetic improvement. Eighty plus years ago the Japanese Association of Akaushi was created in order to collect, manage and process all Akaushi data. The association has collected carcass performance, breeding pedigrees and economic data for every animal in the entire breed. This data has been used in the selection of every Akaushi dam and sire over the last half-century. During the same period this data has also been used to select prospective sire and dam lines to be utilized for further genetic improvement. Consequently new sire and dam lines are only released for general production after they have been proven by extensive and accurate statistical analysis. As a result of this unique closed system and multi-trait selection process, the Akaushi breed is extremely uniform and consistent throughout its genetic line for all maternal, structural, fertility, carcass and palatability traits. No single trait has been sacrificed to develop this superior breed.
Therefore, Akaushi genetics may be the final ingredient to create an animal that will perform efficiently, improve consistency, maintain uniformity and maximize the gap between profit and loss.
Akaushi Cattle in the U.S.
In 1994 the nucleus of the Akaushi herd was brought to the United States. Eight females and three males were shipped to the U.S. on a specially equipped Boeing 747. They found their way to HeartBrand Ranch in 1994, where they have helped build a herd that has not only survived but thrived in this south Texas region.
The same closed herd and multi-trait selection process used in Japan, is now used in the United States by the American Akaushi Association members. Coupled with the recorded parentage of the U.S.-born calves, the lineage of the American Akaushi can be traced back over 30 generations to the origin of the breed. American Akaushi registered full-blood cattle are direct descendants of the Mount Aso Region’s revered Akaushi herds.
The history (long) of the breed in Japan
Cattle were brought to Japan from China at the same time as the cultivation of rice, in about the second century AD, in the Yayoi period. Until about the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were used only as draught animals, in agriculture, forestry, mining and for transport, and as a source of fertiliser. Milk consumption was unknown, and – for cultural and religious reasons – meat was not eaten. Cattle were highly prized and valuable, too expensive for a poor farmer to buy.
Japan was effectively isolated from the rest of the world from 1635 until 1854; there was no possibility of intromission of foreign genes to the cattle population during this time. Between 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, and 1887, some 2600 foreign cattle were imported. At first there was little interest in cross-breeding these with native stock, but from about 1900 it became widespread. It ceased abruptly in 1910, when it was realised that, while the cross-breeds might be larger and have better dairy qualities, their working capacity and meat quality was lower. From 1919, the various heterogeneous regional populations that resulted from this brief period of cross-breeding were registered and selected as “Improved Japanese Cattle”. Four separate strains were characterised, based mainly on which type of foreign cattle had most influenced the hybrids, and were recognised as breeds in 1944. These were the four wagyū breeds, the Japanese Brown, the Japanese Black, the Japanese Polled and the Japanese Shorthorn.
The Japanese Brown developed in southern Japan, in Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island, and in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu island. The principal foreign influences on the breed were from the British Devon, Korean Hanwoo and Swiss Simmental cattle breeds.
In 1960 the total breed population was reported to be over 525 000. In 1978 it was reported as 72 000, and in 2008 it was 18 672. The Japanese Brown constitutes about 4.8% of the national beef herd. The conservation status of the Japanese Brown was listed by the FAO as “not at risk” in 2007. A small number were exported to the United States in 1994.
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https://www.sullivancreekranch.com/akaushi-beef
Nestled in the foothills of north Alabama our ranch is a beautiful, sprawling 300 acres of mixed pasture and woods with gorgeous Sullivan Creek weaving in-and-out of its boundaries. Owned by an elderly rancher before us, it was slowly falling into disrepair and he was hoping to find someone with the passion and work ethic to reclaim its natural beauty and continue to raise cattle. I knew it was exactly what I was looking for.
I bought the property in 2016, and began transforming it into a well-laid-out ranch with an intense focus on small-batch, high quality beef.
The ranch is still a work in progress. I continue to explore new ways to manage soil health, year-round forage, and herd expansion through sustainment practices. With the support of trusted advisors, I’m intently focused on methods to raise healthy animals and produce exceptional beef, with full transparency.
https://www.cattlerange.com/cattle-for-sale/akaushi/all-classes/all-states/all-subclasses
https://www.beefmagazine.com/beef-quality/akaushi-branded-beef-line-boasts-consistency-taste
