Andrew Hallas

I have had the pleasure of attending two agricultural tours in Japan with Yuta Abe as our guide—first with the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA), and second on a trip I personally organised with clients. Yuta’s expertise in Japanese farming practices, particularly Wagyu cattle production, is outstanding. He brings a deep understanding of the industry, and his ability to highlight the nuances of Wagyu—right in its homeland—is second to none.

Yuta’s tours are thoughtfully balanced, weaving together agricultural insights with sightseeing, Japanese culture, local attractions, and authentic cuisine. Each itinerary is crafted to ensure every participant gets both an educational and cultural experience. Japanese BBQ, in particular, is always a highlight—delicious and memorable!

Yuta’s fluency in English and his skill as a translator make the tours accessible and enjoyable for international guests. If you are planning an agricultural trip to Japan, I can highly recommend Yuta Abe for his professionalism, knowledge, and the genuine enthusiasm he brings to every tour.

— Andrew Hallas, Zoetis Australia

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Matt McDonagh

“Yuta Abe has outstanding connections to the primary industries within Japan and has been pivotal to the Australian Wagyu Association’s successful farm tours all over Japan.  Yuta’s organisation, communication and translation services are exceptional and make touring in Japan very straight forward.  Yuta understands the farm, food and fun aspects of international tours in Japan and provides the perfect mix of culture and entertainment to ensure everyone has a wonderful experience”.

– Matt McDonagh, Australian Wagyu Association

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Bay Maddocks

I had an incredible experience on a private Wagyu tour in Hokkaido in 2024 with Yuta. Coming from a Wagyu farm myself, I was especially interested to learn more about how Wagyu is raised in Japan, and this tour exceeded all expectations. Yuta picked us up from the airport and spent the entire day with us, taking us to several different farms where we met local farmers who explained their farming practices. For those who didn’t speak English, Yuta translated everything for us, which made the experience even more valuable and insightful.

His English was perfect, and his knowledge of Japanese Wagyu production and the local area was exceptional. In between farm visits, he also introduced us to some amazing local specialties, which added a really authentic touch to the day. Yuta was incredibly kind, accommodating, and flexible with timings, making sure everything suited our schedule. He even took us back to the airport at the end.

From start to finish, everything was seamless and thoughtfully organized. I couldn’t recommend Yuta highly enough to anyone wanting a genuine, in-depth Wagyu experience in Hokkaido.

– Bay Maddocks, Shropshire UK

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Kevin Brennan 

Yuta Abe organised a private tour for my wife and I. Yuta was able to design an itinerary based on conversations with us and our stated interests. The tour was excellent. Yuta gained access to all stages of the wagyu production chain, this allowed us to visit producers, feedlots, processors and restaurants that would have been otherwise unavailable to us. 

Yuta has excellent English language skills and as such is able to impart local knowledge and interpret conversations we had with wagyu experts. 

He has a passion for agriculture and high-quality food and produce, we enjoyed his company and found him an excellent host.

-Kevin Brennan, Tarella Australia

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Shannon Maas

Yuta Abe is hands down the best guide I’ve ever had in my life. He can navigate every corner of the island flawlessly, and might know every single person within a 300 mile radius.  He’s professional, courteous, very knowledgeable, extremely well connected and an absolute joy to spend time with.  You’re not touring with a guide, you’re gaining a new friend.  

I’ve been on 3 separate tours with Yuta ranging from a few days to a couple weeks.  He was so good, I brought my boss on a trip with me.  The experiences he’s provided have been absolutely magical.  I’ve fly fished the bountiful rivers, soaked in the moor hot springs at hotels, we’ve researched everything from honey-berries, kombu, 2 year aged potatoes, horseradish, and wasabi together.  Each tour he has shown an extreme depth of knowledge and is impeccable in his translation.  It’d be hard to survive a day without him there to be honest.

My experiences with Yuta have been the best in my life.  Without question.  He’s such an awesome person.  And he does EVERYTHING.  Please, if you have the opportunity to hire this gentleman, do it.  He will alter your experience into an absolutely life changing one.

– Shannon Maas, California USA