Gold Award Winner at the "Best Tonkatsu Pork Grand Prix": Enjoy the Ultimate Tonkatsu Experience with Ibaraki Prefecture's Brand Pork "Hitachi no Kagayaki" - "Hitachi no Kagayaki Tonkatsu Fair"

Ibaraki Prefecture will sequentially hold the "Hitachi no Kagayaki Tonkatsu Fair" from Wednesday, June 10, to February of next year, at approximately 50 popular tonkatsu restaurants in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kansai region, and within Ibaraki Prefecture. The fair will offer tonkatsu made with Ibaraki Prefecture's brand pork, "Hitachi no Kagayaki."

Ibaraki Prefecture's brand pork, "Hitachi no Kagayaki," won the Gold Award, equivalent to 2nd place, at the first-ever "Best Tonkatsu Pork Grand Prix" held last September. This event was a comparative tasting of brand pork from six regions across Japan. It received high praise as "pork that is top-tier delicious when eaten as tonkatsu."

Following this result, the fair will expand into the Kansai area for the first time and increase the number of participating stores, including famous tonkatsu restaurants, making it the largest-scale fair to date. Furthermore, some stores will offer a special menu allowing customers to compare the top three brands: the MVP-winning "Agu" from Okinawa Prefecture (1st place), the Gold Award-winning "Hitachi no Kagayaki" from Ibaraki Prefecture (2nd place), and the Silver Award-winning "Joshu Mugibuta" from Gunma Prefecture (3rd place).

We invite you to take this opportunity to enjoy the ultimate tonkatsu experience by savoring the Gold Award-winning taste of "Hitachi no Kagayaki" and comparing tonkatsu prepared with the unique cooking methods of each restaurant.

"Hitachi no Kagayaki" Wins Gold Award at the "Best Tonkatsu Pork Grand Prix"

The first "Best Tonkatsu Pork Grand Prix" held last September was an event where tonkatsu made from brand pork from six regions across Japan (Agu, Olive Buta, Kagoshima Kurobuta, Joshu Mugibuta, TOKYO X, and Hitachi no Kagayaki) were compared. The "Best Tonkatsu Pork" was determined by votes from 300 general participants and 4 special judges.

In a fierce competition among these renowned brand pork products from six regions, "Hitachi no Kagayaki" won the Gold Award, equivalent to 2nd place. Judges praised it as "pork with a sweet aroma and rich meat flavor, perfectly suited for tonkatsu," giving it top-class ratings among national brand pork products.

[Reference] Best Tonkatsu Pork Grand Prix official website: https://beston-gp.jp/

"Hitachi no Kagayaki Tonkatsu Fair" Overview

Period: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 – February 2027 (scheduled) *The period may vary by store.

Participating Stores: Approximately 50 tonkatsu restaurants in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kansai region, and Ibaraki Prefecture (planned)

Content: Offering tonkatsu menus using Ibaraki Prefecture's brand pork "Hitachi no Kagayaki"

▼ Details of the fair are also available on the Ibaraki Food and Agriculture Portal site "Let's Eat Ibaraki."

Site URL: https://www.ibaraki-shokusai.net/info/detail/18436

Brand Pork "Hitachi no Kagayaki" Created by Ibaraki Prefecture's Pig Farmers After Approximately 7 Years of Research

"Hitachi no Kagayaki" is a brand pork developed through collaboration between Ibaraki Prefecture and its producers. It features a higher degree of marbling and a tender texture compared to regular pork. By being raised slowly on a special feed, it is rich in amino acids, the source of umami and sweetness, resulting in a product with a perfect balance of "tenderness," "strong umami," and "good aroma."

Stores Participating in the "Hitachi no Kagayaki Tonkatsu Fair" from June 10 (Wed) to June 23 (Tue)

*Participating stores will be added sequentially. Information on stores participating from the following month onward will be announced on the Ibaraki Food and Agriculture Portal site "Let's Eat Ibaraki." *Fair content is subject to change without notice.