Abstract
Regarding beef consumption in early modern Japan, only a few previous studies have discussed the quality of beef as an ingredient. In this paper, we focus on the variation in the quality of beef from the perspective of the social classes consuming it. We find that beef consumption was polarized, with good-quality beef being consumed by the upper class and poor-quality beef being consumed by the lower class. This difference was due to the different slaughtering techniques used; good-quality beef was fresh meat produced by slaughtering living cattle, and poor-quality beef was taken from cattle that had previously died.
