Try premium Matsusaka beef at a free sukiyaki tasting, grill your own yakiniku, discover unique local specialties and foods, and watch a real cattle auction at this once-a-year celebration of the world-renowned Matsusaka beef!
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Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture is located almost in the center of Japan, where you can enjoy world-class gourmet Matsusaka beef, rich history and culture, and beautiful nature. During the Edo period, Matsusaka was the final post town for pilgrimages to Ise-mairi (a pilgrimage to Japan's highest-ranking shrine). These merchants succeeded in trading Matsusaka cotton in Edo and brought prosperity to Matsusaka.
What is the Matsusaka Beef Festival?
The Matsusaka Beef Festival, held every year in November, celebrates Matsusaka beef, one of the highest valued wagyu in the world produced painstakingly to strict specifications in only a select few areas in and around Matsusaka in Mie Prefecture. This premium meat boasts a high concentration of fatty acids that make each bite tender and rich in umami, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture from the astounding marbling visible in every cut.
The highlight of this festival is the Matsusaka Beef Cattle Show, where the finest cattle raised with great care by local farmers compete in looks and meat quality. In the afternoon, experience the passion of the farmers and the tense negotiations between professional buyers at the lively cattle auction, where the record high selling price was 52.59 million yen for one Matsusaka cow!
Visit the booth serving free sukiyaki to taste Matsusaka beef right where it's produced and explore the city’s vibrant local culture at the booths stocking local specialties and goods you can’t find anywhere else. Don't miss this once-a-year celebration of Matsusaka's culinary tradition!
Event Details
When: Sunday, November 29, 2026
Where: Matsusaka Agricultural Park Bell Farm (551-3 Isederacho, Matsusaka, Mie)
Festival Schedule
9 am: Matsusaka Beef Cattle Show: 50 Special Grade Matsusaka Cattle are appraised, and one of them is crowned the Queen of Matsusaka Beef.
Starting 10 am:
- Free tasting of Matsusaka beef sukiyaki (Limited to the first 1,000 servings, while supplies last)
- Matsusaka beef yakiniku corner
- Local specialty goods and local food
- Matsusaka Tea Quiz Rally (Win special prizes!)
- Oka High School Food Preparation Students Collaboration: Purchase limited quantities of bento boxes and baked goods made with specially selected Matsusaka beef, prepared by the students!
12 pm: Matsusaka Beef Cattle Show Award Ceremony
1 pm: Auction of 50 Special Grade Matsusaka beef cattle
How can I learn more about Matsusaka beef?
What is Matsusaka beef, and what makes it so special? Learn more about the history of Matsusaka beef and beef consumption in Japan, the detailed specifications that make Matsusaka beef, what kinds of Japanese dishes incorporate Matsusaka beef, and more at the link below.
After checking out the festival, stop by one of Matsusaka’s local restaurants where you can taste Matsusaka beef at its finest and freshest, right where it’s produced.
Take a peek into a real Matsusaka beef farm and read more about what it takes to produce this artisanal meat in this interview with a legendary Matsusaka beef farmer.
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