Although sushi may be the dish of choice for many Japanese, consumption of beef has greatly expanded in the country since it opened its doors to Western culture following the Meiji Restoration.
Since then, Japan has developed its own beef-based cuisine with the likes of sukiyaki and "gyudon" beef bowls, and it has also succeeded in breeding "wagyu" cattle, whose meat today is known worldwide for its exceptional flavor.
But the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture has cast a shadow over the wagyu industry, causing considerable damage to decades of efforts by local farmers.