Sarabetsu Village (Hokkaido) is the municipality you donate to for this thank-you gift. The origin name field on the listing states that the raw ingredient is from Hokkaido and the place of processing is Sarabetsu Village. The thank-you gift covered in this article, “北の凍れ豚 豚こま切れ”, which you receive through furusato nozei (hometown tax donation program), is frozen small-cut pork (豚こま切れ) that arrives in 300g vacuum packs, and you apply by choosing from 5 sizes, from 2.4kg (8 packs) to 7.2kg (24 packs), together with a shipping month and a regular delivery (subscription) option. We have organized what the Rakuten listing and reviews say into 5 points: amount, shelf life, ingredient labeling, gifting and reviews. The features we could confirm on the listing are 3: vacuum packs in 300g portions, a choice of shipping month, and a regular delivery plan.
At a Glance
Key points
- 300g per vacuum pack. You can choose from 8 packs (2.4kg), 11 packs (3.3kg), 14 packs (4.2kg), 17 packs (5.1kg) and 24 packs (7.2kg) (weak point: even the smallest is 2.4kg, so you cannot choose a small amount)
- You can choose the shipping month. Besides shipments in November, December, January, February and March, there is an option to ship within 5 business days
- Regular delivery (subscription) is 3, 6, 9 or 12 deliveries. You can keep receiving the same contents
- Rakuten rating 4.61 (1,346 reviews). Viewed November 9, 2026
Watch out for
- Even the smallest size is 300g × 8 packs (2.4kg). You will need to check the free space in your freezer before choosing a size
- In the reviews, low-rated posts show complaints about fat, off-smell and toughness. Details are in the “What Public Reviews Say” section
Suits: People who want to keep frozen pork in 300g portions they can use up one pack at a time, and who want to choose the shipping month
The features are from the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed November 9, 2026). The rating is as shown on Rakuten (viewed November 9, 2026) and may not reflect the product’s current condition.
Basic Information
- Product Name
- 北の凍れ豚 豚こま切れ (vacuum pack, 300g portions; small-cut pork)
- Municipality / Provider
- Sarabetsu Village, Hokkaido (Rakuten Furusato Nozei) / Provider: 株式会社肉の十勝
- Amount
- 300g per pack. 2.4kg (8 packs) / 3.3kg (11 packs) / 4.2kg (14 packs) / 5.1kg (17 packs) / 7.2kg (24 packs)
- Shipping Month
- Choose from November, December, January, February, March, or shipping within 5 business days
- Regular Delivery
- 3, 6, 9 or 12 deliveries
- Storage
- Keep frozen. The listing says the best-before date is about 3 months from the shipping date when stored in a household freezer
- Allergen Labeling
- Labeled as pork
- Donation Amount
- Changes with the options you choose. Check on the listing
- Shipping
- Frozen delivery. You cannot specify the delivery date or days you will be away
- Noshi / Gifting
- Not confirmed
This list transcribes what the listing says. However, “Not confirmed” and our own notes are Ochinity’s wording.
The allergen labeling is as stated on the listing (pork). If you have allergies, please contact the provider before applying for the donation, or be sure to check the label on the thank-you gift when it arrives (reference: Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan, “About Allergen Labeling”, viewed November 9, 2026).
See the transcription of the listing, sources and details of “Not confirmed” (15 items)
This list transcribes what the listing says. However, “Not confirmed” and our own notes are Ochinity’s wording.
- Product Name
- 北の凍れ豚 豚こま切れ (vacuum pack, 300g portions; Sarabetsu Village, Hokkaido; furusato nozei)The product name shown on the Rakuten product page is a long string with many search keywords. Here we show only the product-name part.
- Amount
- Comes in 300g vacuum packs, in 5 sizes: 8 packs (2.4kg in total), 11 packs (3.3kg in total), 14 packs (4.2kg in total), 17 packs (5.1kg in total) and 24 packs (7.2kg in total). The number of servings is not stated and is Not confirmedSource: listing product description and selection field (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Options
- Amount: 2.4kg / 3.3kg / 4.2kg / 5.1kg / 7.2kg
Shipping month: November, December, January, February, March, or shipping within 5 business days
Regular delivery: 3, 6, 9 or 12 deliveriesSource: listing selection field (viewed November 9, 2026) - Donation Amount
- Differs by the combination of amount, shipping month and number of deliveries you choose. Because the amount changes, it is not stated in this article. You can check it on the Rakuten listingSource: listing selection field (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Storage Method
- Frozen
- Best-Before Date
- The listing says it is about 3 months from the shipping date when stored in a household freezerSource: listing product description (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Thawing Method
- The guidance image on the listing says that thawing in ice water takes 1 to 3 hours and thawing in the refrigerator takes 12 to 24 hours (it also says thawing for more than 24 hours is not recommended because meat juices come out). About 2 days after thawing is given as the guide. Before cooking, it also advises leaving it at room temperature for about 5 minutes before you cookSource: listing guidance image (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Notes After Opening
- The listing says about 2 days after thawing is the guideSource: listing guidance image
- Origin of Ingredients
- From Hokkaido (shown in the origin name field of the listing)Source: listing product description (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Place of Processing
- Sarabetsu VillageSource: listing product description
- Condition / How to Eat (Whether Cooking Is Required)
- It is frozen small-cut pork (豚こま切れ) in vacuum packs. We could not find guidance on whether cooking is requiredSource: listing product description and guidance image
- Shipping
- Arrives by frozen delivery (Yamato Transport). Shipping fees are included in the donation amount. You cannot specify the delivery date or days you will be away. The listing says it cannot be delivered to remote islands (parts of the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands)Source: listing guidance image and product information (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Shipping Time
- You can choose one of November, December, January, February or March (shipping is scheduled between the 1st and the last day of that month), or shipping within 5 business days. As a rule, the shipping month cannot be changed after you apply. The shipping time display may changeSource: listing selection field and guidance image (viewed November 9, 2026)
- Manufacturer
- The provider is shown as 株式会社肉の十勝. Whether it is the manufacturer, processor or seller, and its location, are Not confirmedSource: listing provider field
- Shop
- Sarabetsu Village, Hokkaido (Rakuten Furusato Nozei)
Donation amounts differ by portal and by the size you choose, and may change. Please check the current donation amount and availability at the link above.
What Public Reviews Say
We have organized the Rakuten Ichiba product reviews by theme. The ratings are as of the date viewed and change afterwards.
| Site | Rating | Reviews | Viewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten customer reviews (product page) | 4.61 / 5 | 1,346 | November 9, 2026 |
Rating breakdown: ★5 1,005 / ★4 253 / ★3 31 / ★2 23 / ★1 34 (as shown on Rakuten Ichiba, viewed November 9, 2026)
Reviews read: these are trends in 112 Rakuten reviews and may not reflect the product’s current condition. The review pages also include posts about sizes that are not in the current selection field. The counts below are approximate, counted by reading the review text, and do not include posts that are only about delivery or shop support.
What Reviewers Praise
Easy to use in 300g vacuum packs (about 36 of 59 reviews)
About 36 of the 59 reviews in the default sort order said it is easy to use in small portions, or that vacuum packs fit easily in the freezer. Some wrote that you can take out just the amount you need.
Tender (about 11 reviews)
About 11 of the 59 reviews in the default sort order said the meat was tender. Some mention using it in stir-fries, simmered dishes and so on (reviewers’ own descriptions).
No off-smell noticed (about 6 reviews)
About 6 of the 59 reviews in the default sort order said they did not notice an off-smell. Perceptions vary from person to person, and as described below, some posts said they noticed an off-smell.
Repeat applications (about 17 reviews)
About 17 of the 59 reviews in the default sort order said they apply every year or have ordered many times.
Source: Rakuten customer reviews (viewed November 9, 2026)
What Reviewers Note
All 59 reviews in the default sort order were ★4 or ★5. The following are approximate counts from the 53 ★1 and ★2 reviews we read in total (30 of the 34 ★1 reviews and all 23 ★2 reviews).
A lot of fat (about 19 reviews)
About 19 of the 53 ★1 and ★2 reviews said they felt there was a lot of fat. We could not find anything on the listing about the amount of fat.
Noticed an off-smell (about 16 reviews)
About 16 of the 53 ★1 and ★2 reviews said they noticed an off-smell or a gamey smell.
Tough or dry (about 15 reviews)
About 15 of the 53 ★1 and ★2 reviews said the meat was tough or dry, or that it had sinew or cartilage.
Source: Rakuten customer reviews (viewed November 9, 2026)
Summary: Is This the One for You?
Deciding factors: You want to use it in 300g vacuum packs, and you want to choose the shipping month. If these two are your conditions, this thank-you gift meets both (weak point: even the smallest size is 2.4kg, starting from 300g × 8 packs).
- The Rakuten rating is 4.61 / 5 (1,346 reviews). Among the 59 default-sort reviews we read, many mentioned ease of use in small portions (about 36) and repeat applications (about 17)
- You can choose the shipping month from November to March or shipping within 5 business days, and regular delivery from 3, 6, 9 or 12 deliveries
- Low-rated posts showed complaints about fat, off-smell and toughness (about 19, 16 and 15 of the 53 ★1 and ★2 reviews)
Other options: If you want thin slices for shabu-shabu in 100g portions, there is Tahara City: Tahara Pork Shabu-Shabu, 3 Cuts in Small Packs (100g and 200g packages); if you want 3kg or more at one time, there is Miyakonojo City: Sweet Pork Leg Shabu-Shabu (choose from 3kg or 5kg).
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications explains that to receive the deduction, you are in principle required to file a final tax return by March 15 of the year after you donate, and that if you file a final tax return, the income tax portion is deducted from that year’s income tax and the resident tax portion is deducted from the following fiscal year’s resident tax. It also explains that only for salaried workers and others who do not need to file a final tax return, and only if the number of municipalities you donate to through furusato nozei is 5 or fewer, applying to each municipality you donated to means you do not need to file a final tax return (the One-Stop Exception system, ふるさと納税ワンストップ特例制度), and that in that case no deduction is made from income tax and the full amount is deducted from the following fiscal year’s resident tax (source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “How Furusato Nozei Works: Tax Deductions”, viewed November 9, 2026). Deduction amounts and procedures differ from person to person, so please check with the ministry, your local municipality or the tax office.
Donation amounts, availability, and shipping times change. This article’s information-as-of date is November 9, 2026. Please be sure to check the listing at the link before you donate.
This article contains affiliate links (advertising). Editorial Policy
This article organizes information published on furusato nozei listings and review sites. Information about the thank-you gift, such as amount, storage method, and ingredients, may change. Please check the listing for the latest information.
Comments on taste or quality are summarized from third-party posts cited with their source, and are not Ochinity’s own evaluation. Our approach to writing articles is described in our Editorial Policy.
Information as of: November 9, 2026 / Sources: Rakuten Furusato Nozei “北海道更別村” (Sarabetsu Village, Hokkaido) listing, Rakuten customer reviews, Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan, “About Allergen Labeling”
