The Wagyu Olympics, also known as Zenkyo, is a unique competition held in Japan every five years. The next event is due to be held 26-30 August 2027 in Hokkaido, one of Japan’s northernmost islands with a UK visit actively being worked on to include two days at the event (Saturday & Monday) with Sunday as a free day/other tourist options. A tour of 10-12 days is being considered as follows: fly into Tokyo then couple of days in the area, then a few days on Hokkaido, then 1-2 days in Sendai area then back to Tokyo for a couple of days. The tour will be Wagyu and agriculture focused with some tourist and city highlights. 

Wagyu Zenkyo Olympics, Obihiro City, Hokkaido, Japan

Thur  26/8/27 AM: Opening Ceremony PM: Judging

Fri   27/8/27 Judging

Sat    28/8/27 Judging

Sun   29/8/27 Judging and Auction (carcase)

Mon   30/8/27 AM: Ending Ceremony, Victory Parade

We understand that the key dates for visitors are Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  However, the location for the event, Obihiro City, is a remote city and offers very little in the way of visitor accommodation.  That which is there is reserved for the Olympic participants during the event so visitors have to travel every day to the event.  The most common place to stay is Sapporo City, which is some 3.5 hours from the Olympic venue.  Naturally, we are looking to see if we could find somewhere closer, but it is important to be aware of the logistics and common practice for the event.

The island of Hokkaido is a wild and natural landscape offering stunning beauty and a wonderful place for hikers and outdoor people with national parks and walking trails. Agriculture would be a clear focus for our group with the island providing 25% of the total land given over to agriculture in Japan and offering a good mix of production including rice, dairy and crops in addition to Wagyu operations.

There is a bullet train service from Obihiro to Sendai that take 4 hours and transits through the longest underwater tunnel in the world.  This would open up the tour options to Sendai and Tokyo beyond. Along the route we can weave a number of agri visits in so you can experience agriculture across the country. EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO RICHARD SAUNDERS info@britishwagyu.co.uk

Here are some fascinating details about the Wagyu Olympics:

1. Purpose and History:

   • The Wagyu Olympics was launched in 1966 to encourage high-quality cattle breeding, promote Wagyu beef both within and outside Japan, and boost tourism

   • The competition aims to identify the best beef in the world by evaluating both breeding cows and carcases

2. Competitive Categories:

   • There are two main categories:

     • Breed Improvement: Judges assess cows based on their size, proportions, and other outwardly visible standards

     • Meat Quality: Carcases are judged on fat quality and content

   • Winning breeders get the opportunity to sell their cattle and carcasses to top restaurants and butchers worldwide at premium prices

3. Auction:

   • At the end of the competition, the best breeding cows and carcasses are sold at auction to the highest bidders in Japan

4. 2027 Event:

   • The next Wagyu Olympics is to take place 26-30 August 2027 in Hokkaido