Irish beef tongue has become a delicacy in Japan over the last number of years, with restaurant chain Negishi selling beef tongue at 49 locations across Japan to 100,000 customers every week.

The Irish Farmers Journal joined Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon on an agri-food trade mission to Japan, a big country for Irish beef offal and prime beef. In total, Irish food and drink exports to Japan were €161m in 2024.

Negishi restaurants are based primarily in the Kanto region, with locations in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba and Saitama with Japan being the largest customer of Irish beef tongue worldwide.

Speaking from Tokyo, Minister Heydon said Japan is an important trading partner for Ireland as the third-largest destination for Irish agri-food exports outside of Europe.

“In recent years we have seen this relationship grow and strengthen, across a broad range of products,” he said.

“I was delighted to see Irish premium oysters recently launched into the Japanese market and to see demand continue to increase for Irish agri-food products.”

Chef’s Irish beef club

Also joining the agri-food trade mission was Bord Bia which launched its first-ever Chefs’ Irish Beef Club in Asia.

The Chefs’ Irish Beef Club is an exclusive international forum which brings together some of the leading international chefs who collectively endorse the credentials and taste of Irish beef.

Three new chefs – Yuji Hayashi (The Momentum by Porsche), Yuki Inoue (Ristorante La Bisboccia) and Kenzo Nishizawa (Trattoria Da Kenzo) – were formally inducted into the international club.

Chef Hayashi, who has worked for the last four years as the executive chef at Momentum, the world’s first Porsche-approved restaurant in Tokyo, said it’s an honour to be part of the club.

Irish beef tongue served in the Negishi restaurant. The restaurant specialises in various kinds of grilled beef tongue – regarded as a delicacy in Japan.

“I’m delighted to host Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture... and serve him and the group some beautiful Irish beef here in Tokyo. When I visited Ireland, I realised how good the animal welfare was, it was amazing to see cattle living a stress-free life on the greenest grass.”

Minister Heydon added: “Irish beef is growing in strength in Japan and launching the Chefs’ Irish Beef Club here in Tokyo is a testament to how well premium Irish beef is received on the global stage.”

Republic of Korea

Another country involved in this trade mission was the Republic of Korea, which is the fourth-biggest beef importer in the world. They purchase 500,000t/year and has the highest per-capita consumers of beef in Asia at 17kg/year or the same weight as two-and-a-half bowling balls.