Koshino Kogane Buta ―Koshi Gold Pork―

From the land of golden rice paddies and the hard work of local farmers

Iwafune and Tainai are regions known for producing top quality koshihikari rice. It’s also the place where Takahashi Farms, master pig breeders and pork producers, have cultivated Koshi Gold Pork through generations of hard work and careful breeding. The outstanding characteristics of this pork are its sweetness, tenderness, and richness of flavor. Not only is it flavorful, but it is high in nutritional value. In this product, you can taste the delicious results of the hard work of Takahashi Farms.

Established crossbreed

(Large Yorkshire x Landrace) x Duroc – a special cross of three breeds and (Landrace x Duroc) x Duroc cross.

Carefully selected safe and nutritious grains

Our pigs are fed a special mix of carefully selected natural grains, mainly corn and barley, which is high in vitamins, minerals, lactic bacteria and Natto bacteria (Bacillus subtilis).

In the Heart of Natural Northern Niigata

Our pigs have been raised with the utmost of care for over 180 days. They are housed in a spacious, clean and well-maintained state-of-the-art facility located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture surrounded by a land richly endowed with nature. Murakami City and Tainai City (Nakajo area)

Distinguishing Features of Koshi Gold

- Higher in α- linolenic acid than regular pork, making it more flavorful.
- Higher in vitamin E than regular pork--making the meat tastier and richer
- Very tender and tasty--you won’t be able to get enough!

Koshiou (the King of Niigata) Niigata rice pork

Hogs fed on rice from the rice kingdom

Niigata is the rice kingdom, Japan’s foremost grain-producing region.

This idyllic rural landscape stretching as far as the eye can see is the home of Koshiou hogs raised on Niigata rice. “Koshi” is the old name for Niigata. “Ou” means king. Therefore Koshiou means the King of Niigata!

Koshiou pork is a tasty new Niigata food brand, produced by a combination of three things: Niigata’s agriculture (taking advantage of fields lying fallow in order to grow rice for feed), stock raising (rearing safe and secure brand name pork) and the distribution network of UOSHOKU CO., LTD.

Familiar, one hundred per cent local brand name hogs raised in Niigata

In addition to food safety and security, certain distinctive features of Niigata Prefecture, namely excellent rice and a pleasant environment for hogs, enable us to produce sweet, flavorsome and exceptionally high quality pork. We put particular emphasis on the fact that our hogs are raised in Niigata. By bringing you Koshiou, the King of Niigata, raised on Niigata rice, we preserve Niigata food along with local producers and our familiar, reasonable and tasty pork is bought by customers all over Japan.

Koshiou, raised on Niigata rice

A broad plain from which you can see the horizon Fertile soil nurtured by two large rivers, the Shinano and the Agano Abundant snow meltwater This is the wonderful natural environment in which Niigata rice is grown. Koshiou hogs, raised on Niigata rice, grow up carefree and healthy thanks to their diet of nutritious brown rice, ground up and mixed into their feed.

Livestock farmers rear their hogs with care and affection.

Hogs are really very sensitive animals. The key to tasty pork is a pleasant, stress-free environment for the hogs. Niigata rice-fed Koshiou are reared carefully, on the basis of meticulous hygiene management, in order to preserve food safety and security and produce delicious, high quality pork.

Exceptionally high quality pork for your table

Niigata-rice reared Koshiou are the usual three way cross LWD breed. It is rice that produces pork of such high quality. Sweetness that melts in the mouth, a light, refreshing taste and delicious umami put our pork in a class above ordinary pork. We have set up a traceability system that enables us to carry out stringent checks on the meat quality of each animal and only pork which meets all the criteria is brought to market.

To eat is to preserve.

Even in Niigata, where the climate and natural features are perfect for rice cultivation, fields lying fallow are a problem. The number of livestock farmers is also going down. We want to help arable and livestock farming in Niigata to carry on by changing to Niigata rice for animal feed instead of relying on imports as in the past. This is our idea and our project mission.