Wadakin: The Original Matsusaka Beef | Restaurant Guide

Origins
Wadakin was founded in 1878. Kimbee Matsuda, our first proprietor and a man thoroughly trained as a chef at such restaurants as Wadahei in Tokyo, returned home to Matsusaka and opened a beef restaurant in

Revolution
Kimbee opened a Tokyo branch in 1927, pioneering a route for introducing Matsusaka beef to royalty and celebrities in the government and business sectors. However, when the Second World War broke out, Wadakin became part of the meat rationing system. In spite of all that, Wadakin’s rationing stamps grew in popularity and were often bought and sold at a high price.

Rapid growth
When the war ended, Wadakin was incorporated as a company and reopened for business. In 1964, we established our own farm, in Ureshino Kuronocho, in order to improve the quality of our beef.

The logomarks used by Wadakin since the late 1920s, incorporate the phrases “Matsusaka-gyu ganso” (“originator of Matsusaka beef”) and “BEST BEEF”, which express the pride we have taken in our beef since our founding as well as our pledge toward improvement.

Our History

1878: Beef shop opened in Hommachi, Matsusaka
1901: Opened business in present-day Nakamachi
1927: Opened branch in Tokyo
1950: Wadakin Co., Ltd. incorporated in April
1952: Established special cattle feedlot on Wadakin’s original farm in Kawaimachi
1962: Constructed new three-story building
1965: Established Wadakin Farm in Ureshino Kuronocho and built barn 1; barns 2 through 15 have been completed since then.

1987: Built a new building, our current restaurant
1991–2000: Established a sukiyaki restaurant on the tenth floor of the South Bldg. of Matsuzakaya, Nagoya upon the opening of that building
2008: Introduced facilities for calf truck disinfection and full-body calf disinfection equipment at Wadakin Farm. Introduced stricter procedures with regard to hygiene management
March 2010: Spun off Wadakin Farm from Wadakin, establishing Wadakin Farm Co., Ltd.

Wadakin in literary works

In the past, members of the imperial family and noted individuals active in a variety of fields have done us the honor of visiting our restaurant. Occasionally, someone from the literary world visits and gives their impressions of their visit through their writing. Here are just a few examples of such passages. All of them express wonderful atmosphere, conveying the exact feeling one gets when visiting us.

The writings of Takeshi Kaiko
From Atarashii Tentai

…I haven’t seen such high-quality hard charcoal lately. (snip)As that fine charcoal grew red hot and started glowing as though excited, a metal mesh was put over it, and the masterpiece was finally put on. It was indeed a true work of art. (…) It cooked for a bit, just until it changed color, at which point it was removed from the mesh, dipped in fresh soy sauce and eaten — my mouth filling with the aroma of milk and butter, the warm flavors and fragrance of this plump yet tender dish. So refined you could cut it with chopsticks, so tender, so hearty, so uncomplicated.

The writing of Sadao Shoji
An extract from Aremo tabetai, koremo tabetai

In a manner of speaking, this beef is the best Matsusaka beef there is, Matsusaka beef itself being the best of Japanese Black. (snip) Moist, tender, not overly rich, and intense in flavor — this has all four major characteristics of Wadakin beef.

The poetry of Yoshimi Usui

At Matsusaka, where the teachers of Suzunoya were,We came to eat our beloved Wadakin beef.