Is Yukhoe Really Illegal in Japan?... Why Japanese Tourists Seek Yukhoe in Korea [Sunday Japanese Culture]

Yukhoe Is Rare in Japan
Mass Food Poisoning Incident as the Trigger
Stricter Regulations Make It Uncommon

Do you like yukhoe (raw beef)? Recently, it's become trendy to pour cold noodle broth over spicy stir-fried ramen and eat it together with yukhoe. I also keep watching mukbang videos on YouTube, thinking, "I have to eat this when I go to Korea." In fact, yukhoe is something that Japanese tourists always seek out when they visit Korea. There are many rumors about the reason, such as "because yukhoe is illegal in Japan." This week, I would like to introduce the differences between Korean and Japanese food cultures through yukhoe.

Tourists visiting the Korean market. Photo for illustrative purposes. Photo by Getty Images

Mass Food Poisoning Incident in Japan was the Trigger

Yukhoe featured in the Michelin Guide. Michelin Guide.

First, let's look at why yukhoe has become such a rare dish in Japan. The trigger was a mass food poisoning incident that occurred in 2011. People who dined at a yakiniku chain called "Yakiniku Izakaya Ebisu" were infected with enterohemorrhagic E. coli. The initial infection was reported at the Tonami branch in Toyama Prefecture, and around the same time, patients emerged at other branches in the same prefecture, as well as in Fukui Prefecture, Yokohama City, and Ishikawa Prefecture—cases occurred across Japan. The number of infected people reached 216.

According to an epidemiological investigation by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, it was revealed that 96% of those infected had eaten "wagyu yukhoe," which was sold at an affordable price of around 300 yen (2,838 won) at that time. The dish consisted of sliced and seasoned wagyu sirloin, served with egg yolk and chopped green onions. Normally, enterohemorrhagic E. coli is destroyed by heating. However, contaminated meat was delivered to each branch of the chain, and serving it raw was the problem. According to a report from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the supplied meat did not have any indication that it was for raw consumption.

News screen reporting on the 2011 group food poisoning incident caused by yukhoe. TBS.

However, the severity of the infections was significant. Five people died, including a child who dined there for their birthday dinner. As a result, from October 2011, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare established regulations on raw beef. The requirements were: ▲the meat must test negative for intestinal bacteria ▲processing and cooking must be done in facilities with dedicated equipment ▲only meat that has been heated at 60 degrees Celsius or higher for more than two minutes and with 1 cm of the outer surface cut away can be used. Both yukhoe and beef tataki (lightly seared beef) are included as raw beef under these regulations.

Additionally, in order to sell raw beef at a restaurant, only a "person recognized as appropriate by the head of the local government" can do so. Essentially, a special business license is required. Only the person with the license can prepare the dish—if they are absent, a part-time worker or another chef cannot cook it.

Because of these regulations, yukhoe can only be sold if strict hygiene standards are met. At the same time, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare continued to review the safety of raw beef liver. As a result, the sale and provision of raw beef liver have been completely banned. Therefore, while yukhoe is not legally banned, raw beef liver is entirely prohibited.

However, because of the complicated requirements for selling yukhoe, very few restaurants offer it. Food culture experts explain that this is why yukhoe has become a rare dish in Japan.

Raw Chicken and Horse are Common... Yukhoe Evolves into a Different Dish

So, does this mean Japanese people don't eat any raw meat at all? That's not the case. In fact, chicken and horse meat are eaten raw in Japan. Basashi (horse sashimi) is a famous local food in the Kyushu region, and torisashi (chicken sashimi) is also enjoyed in Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures.

Raw horse liver can also be eaten. However, it must be clearly labeled as intended for raw consumption, and its place of origin and processing must be disclosed. There are no separate national regulations for chicken, but in Kagoshima and Miyazaki—where raw chicken is frequently consumed—local governments have established their own standards.

Local dish from Kagoshima Prefecture introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan: Chicken sashimi (Torisashi). Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Of course, this does not mean that eating raw horse or chicken is completely safe. Food poisoning from undercooked chicken dishes occurs every year in Japan, as there is a high risk of infection from Campylobacter bacteria, which causes bacterial enteritis.

Meanwhile, yukhoe has evolved into a different dish in Japan. If sashimi—such as tuna—is seasoned and mixed, the dish is called "yukke" (ユッケ) in Japanese.

Because of this, questions like "Why is raw beef yukhoe prohibited but raw chicken yukhoe allowed?" occasionally appear on Japanese portal sites. Regarding this, Toshinobu Ichimura, a columnist in the agriculture and food sector, explained in a Toyo Keizai column that the issue of what foods can be eaten is closely related to the food culture of each country or region. For example, most countries in the European Union prohibit fugu (pufferfish), a delicacy in Korea and Japan.

Ichimura also mentioned, "Food-related regulations are determined by whether the society and culture can accept the risks involved." It’s a reminder that even foods we take for granted can become subject to entirely different regulations and debates once they cross national borders.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.