InsideJapan News Network

The presence of lean beef on Japanese menus could be on the increase as news emerges that the meat is rising in popularity.

Requests for fatty meats is on the decline in Japan as diners begin to pay more attention to their waistlines.

Toichiro Ueshima, the owner of a sukiyaki and shabu restaurant, said orders for lean, red meat had been outstripping demand for fatty meat in recent years.

Although red meat is on the rise, fatty beef from black-hair and red-hair cattle still dominate Japanese menus.

Masayuki Umeda, a councillor of Kumamoto's Minamiaso stockbreeding agricultural cooperative association, told Japan Today: "There’s a big difference in price between black-hair cattle and red-hair cattle.

"The latter’s virtues are not reflected in the price."

Kobe beef is one of the most popular meats to be found in Japan. The fat it contains creates a marbled effect and it is often eaten simply as steak, or as sukiyaki or shabu.