Most of what circulates online about how Wagyu reached America is second- and third-hand — retold, compressed, and quietly changed with each retelling. What follows is different. It is the complete, first-person account of Ken Kurosawatsu, son of Yukio Kurosawatsu, the man who selected and helped export the original Akaushi (Japanese Red) cattle out of Kumamoto. Ken's family was present for the events described — the shipments, the quarantines, the back-room deals — and gave this account to WagyuRanch.com.
We have chosen to preserve it here in full and unedited, in his own words. It is, in effect, primary-source testimony: the kind of record that should still exist a hundred years from now, when there are millions of Wagyu and no one left who watched them arrive.
In His Own Words — The Account of Ken Kurosawatsu
"Let's get the story straight once and for all."
Mannet (now operating as WKS) sent out their initial shipment of cattle in 1993 (this shipment consisted of Michifuku / Haruki 2 / Suzutani / Okutani / Rikitani). Before these animals were assembled for export, Mannet built their own quarantine barn per the specifications of the USDA and the Japanese MAFF; this facility was approved by both governments. Once the quarantine facility was approved, Mannet moved their cattle in. At the same time, Mannet was approached by Chuck O'Hara (through WSU) to allow for the use of the quarantine for the export of cattle Mr. O'Hara had assembled in Japan. Mannet agreed to allow Mr. O'Hara's cattle into the quarantine for a fee. When all these animals had passed their testing requirements and were ready to leave Japan for the USA, Mr. O'Hara could not pay the agreed-upon fee for the quarantine usage, and Mannet subsequently "kicked" out Mr. O'Hara's cattle from quarantine, thus losing their export status. Mannet then proceeded to export their five animals to the USA.
Prior to arrival into the USA, Mannet established New Era Genetics with Buck Wright as the General Manager. Upon the arrival of the five animals to the USA, Mr. O'Hara started a lawsuit in the USA claiming that the five animals were his. After a long, drawn-out affair, a settlement was reached in Seattle where Mannet gave up the original import cow "Rikitani," 3 pregnancies (the pregnancies resulting in bulls Kanadagene 100, Kanadagene 101, and one female — Kanadagene 102) + one purebred 63/64 cow called Patty + semen on Michifuku / Haruki 2. Since Mr. O'Hara did not have his own money and had CGMP (an early Wagyu company well known in the industry at the time) back him for the lawsuit, the animals all ended up in the ownership of the CGMP principals.
Wagyu Sekai purchased the first pregnancies from Mannet (4 pregnancies — Genjiro / Okuharu / Suzumichi / Rikiharu), purchased one (Fujiko), and Mannet kept the remainder of the pregnancies (Sanjirou / Shigeshigetani / Beijirou / Takara). Wally Rea from Overflow negotiated an exclusive 3-year deal with Mannet in securing the first FB genetics into Australia (Mishashi / Oskar / Kaneyama / Katsumi). Unfortunately Wally did not get any females from the embryos he had purchased.
Mannet's second shipment + the Reds
Bruce Hemmingsen was approached by Englewood (Al & Marie Woods) in 1993 about the possibility of exporting Red Wagyu out of Japan. Bruce approached my father Yukio (as the two had already had an established relationship with the Holstein breed of cattle) about the possibility of sourcing and exporting the Red Wagyu out of Japan. Yukio already had a great working relationship with the prefectural government of Kumamoto in exporting over 300 head of high-quality Holsteins from both the USA and Canada over a four-year period (these animals were purchased by the Kumamoto Government to coincide with the Dairy Zenkyo — Zenkyo is the all-Japan show held for both dairy and beef every five years).
"Due to the relationship Yukio had with the government of Kumamoto, he was able to select the Red Wagyu with Kumamoto's blessing — and yes, Bruce was with Yukio during the selection process."
The cow that was the prefectural gem was not Akiko. The cow was Dai 8 Marunami (mother of Tamamaru). Since Yukio / Bruce did not have a quarantine facility to export the animals from Japan, Yukio — with his prior relationship with Mannet — got approval to include the Red Wagyu into Mannet's quarantine facility for a fee. The Reds and Mannet's blacks (Takazakura / Kenhanafuji / Nakayuki / Nakagishi 5 / Kanetani / Okahana) were all assembled together into the same quarantine. Three Red Wagyu animals failed quarantine testing for Akabane / Ibaraki disease and quarantine was extended. When the animals finally were allowed to leave Japan, Bruce flew with the cattle to the USA, with a refuel in Alaska into JFK.
Yukio had the brainstorm to have these animals bred to the top bulls in Japan while in quarantine (resulting in Big Al, Kaedemaru, Momigimaru, and an additional female — Dai 9 Kobai x Namimaru). Yukio then sold the cow Dai 9 Kobai to Englewood upon clearing JFK quarantine. The two remaining red cows owned outside of this shipment — Naomi and Dai 3 Namiaki Ni — plus the two offspring Kaedemaru and Momigimaru made their way to Canada, with the remaining Reds going to Englewood (who then became Heartbrand later on). Due to the BSE outbreak in Japan, both Naomi and Dai 3 Namiaki Ni were ordered destroyed by the Canadian Government for BSE testing (this order also included Rikitani herself).
Mannet also sold the rights to Kenhanafuji to a Japanese investor, Eiji Funatsuki, for $150,000 cash. The JVP shipment followed after the second shipment of Mannet's. Our Reds were then all sold to two astute cattlemen who we know will breed these animals true. JVP had two Red animals in their shipment: Kunisakae and Dai 27 Homare. As Dustin mentioned, I believe the former owner of Heartbrand's cattle sold the genetics prior to being bought out.
"My former boss at Mannet, Mr. Kaneyama, constantly had many death threats prior to shipping the first shipment, and many more after the shipments were made. It was a good thing he was 'connected,' or these shipments would never have happened."
Many a deal was made in the back rooms and lots of "fees" were paid. WSU and Buck Wright were instrumental on this side of the ocean to make this pipe dream become a reality.
There you have it, folks. — Ken Kurosawatsu
What the Documented Record Adds
Ken's account is the backbone. A few points are worth setting alongside it, drawn from the broader documented record — not to correct him, but to give a reader the fuller picture and flag where popular retellings diverge.
- The 1976 Reds came first. Before the 1990s fullblood era Ken describes, four Japanese bulls — including the Akaushi that seeded the American red program — arrived in 1976. Ken's account picks up with the far larger 1990s Mannet, Wagyu Sekai, and JVP shipments that built the modern fullblood herd.
- Akaushi ≠ "Red Wagyu" as a breed. Wagyu is an umbrella for Japan's cattle; Japanese Black (Kuroge) and Akaushi (Japanese Red) are distinct breeds, not color varieties. Ken uses "Red Wagyu" and "Akaushi" interchangeably, as breeders of his era did.
- The Mazda "emperor's gift" legend. A popular story holds that the great Tottori bull Mazda was a gift from the Emperor to the Governor of Hawaii. That tale is not supported by the documented import record and is best treated as folklore.
- Englewood → HeartBrand. The Woods family's Englewood program became HeartBrand Beef, today the largest Akaushi operation in the United States.