Japanese beef is beloved for its flavor and tenderness, and it can be really cute too.
Traditionally, in Japan it’s women who give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day, and the customary gift is chocolate. Not every guy has a sweet tooth, though, and even among those who do, chocolate might not be their dessert of choice.
So for those looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a more protein-packed sort of decadence, Japanese gourmet butcher shop Kikui Takahashi has an idea: adorable heart-shaped steaks!
Packaged like boxes of high-end chocolates, each little steak is placed lovingly in its own compartment. Oh, and if you’re thinking the white heart in the bottom-left corner of the box is a chocolate for dessert, that’s not the case. It’s actually a heart-shaped block of beef tallow, because everything in the box is there to satisfy carnivorous cravings.
Pictured above is Kikui Takahashi’s Matsusaka Beef Mini Heart Sirloin Steak set, with a total of 182 grams (6.4 ounces) of one of Japan’s three most prized wagyu varieties. Such prestigious beef naturally comes with a premium price of 9,980 yen (US$64), but it promises to cook up juicy, tender, and adorable.
Kikui Takahashi has a wide variety of other Valentine’s Day beef packages with other cuts and breeds of beef as well, such as the 104-gram Mini Heart Steak set (3,980 yen)…
…the 160-gram Kuroge Wagyu set with larger steaks (3,980 yen)…
…and even 120-gram cat-shaped steak packs with a tallow paw (7,200 yen).
バレンタイン💝限定パッケージ
— 肉匠 菊井髙はし🍖 (@kikui_takahashi) January 22, 2025
ハート形ステーキ。
LINEギフト🎁で販売中です。#LINEギフト pic.twitter.com/CrZxf8BBLc
While the special-shape steaks are available at other times of year as well, right now they’re being offered with special Happy Valentine’s Day packaging and a Valentine’s Day card, making them a great gift for anyone who prefers beef to chocolate on February 14. They’re available for online order through Line gift here, and if you’re already thinking ahead to White Day (observed on March 14 when guys give thank-you gifts to girls who gave them Valentine’s Day presents), Kikui Takahashi has White Day steak sets too!
Source: Twitter/@kikui_takahashi
Top image: Line Gift
Insert images: Twitter/@kikui_takahashi, Line Gift
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Japan’s Valentine’s Day gets extra cute with the return of KitKat Heartful Bear【Photos】
Is the coronavirus going to kill Japan’s obligation chocolate Valentine’s Day custom?
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Giri? Tomo? Gyaku? A guide to Japan’s many different kinds of Valentine’s Day chocolate
These two types of chocolate ramen are going to make Valentine’s Day extra-sweet
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
A visit to Sri Lanka’s knockoff knockoff Uniqlo (no, we didn’t stutter) to see its rare “Pikachus”
7-Eleven Japan now has Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Tokyo revises accommodation tax amidst tourism boom, Airbnb rentals now included
Yoshinoya and Dragon Quest slaying scalpers with shift to made-to-order collaboration merch
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan moves to enforce language requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
Japan to get new high-speed train connecting Haneda and Narita airports, ease overtourism
Famous sweets store in Ameyoko fills a bag with sweets and a show, but is it still worth it?
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made
Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan
Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Starbucks Japan’s new Chocoholic Frappuccino gets what Japanese Valentine’s Day is really about
Japanese women encouraged to give boyfriends sexy underwear and loaf of bread for Valentine’s Day
Chocolate Totoro cream puffs and cakes coming to Japan’s Ghibli bakery for Valentine’s Day【Pics】
Survey suggests Tokyo women expect men to spend big on Valentine’s Day return gifts
Survey shows Japanese women would love to be getting some chocolate on Valentine’s Day too
Starbucks Japan gets ready for Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped check boxes
Japanese women explain why they give “obligation chocolate” to male coworkers on Valentine’s Day
Only one demographic in survey is happy about Japan’s workplace obligation Valentine’s chocolate
The Japanese Valentine’s treats that look like chocolates but taste like the ocean
How to get Valentine’s Day chocolate in Tokyo even if you don’t have a girlfriend
Pokémon Valentine’s Day chocolates from Japan are just the thing for lovers who love Pokémon
A Valentine’s Day shock has our reporter Seiji saying “I want to die”
Give your loved ones stag beetle larvae and more this Valentine’s
Chocolate-fed sushi fish set to become a Valentine’s Day treat in Japan
Anime/manga fans flood publisher’s office with Valentine’s Day presents for 2-D crushes
Japanese company asks fans to refrain from sending Valentine’s chocolate to game characters