The Katsu Sando - One Sandwich - The Joy of Sandwiches

Wako chain's katsu sando; widely available.

Premium wagyu beef cutlet sando; heavily marbled A5 wagyu, often seared rare, with special sauce; luxury item costing ¥3000-10000+.

Omi beef katsu sando; Japan's oldest branded beef.

Matsusaka beef katsu sando; often considered Japan's finest wagyu.

Kobe beef katsu sando; one of Japan's three great wagyu brands.

Specifically A5-grade wagyu (highest marbling score); melt-in-mouth texture, served very rare.

Breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu) on thick-sliced soft milk bread (shokupan) with tonkatsu sauce (sweet-savory Worcestershire-st...

Tonkatsu sando with layer of finely shredded raw cabbage; adds freshness and crunch.

Wako chain style; thicker cut, heavier breading, more casual.

Tonkatsu sando using rosu (pork loin); fattier, more flavorful than hire, with distinct fat cap.

Famous Maisen restaurant style; super-tender pork, delicate breading, served in distinctive triangular cuts with crusts removed.

Tonkatsu sando with kurobuta (Berkshire black pig) from Kagoshima; premium pork with sweet, rich flavor and fine marbling.

Tonkatsu sando using hire (pork tenderloin); leaner, more tender cut than rosu.

Double-stacked tonkatsu sando with two cutlets; extra hearty.

Tonkatsu sando with Okinawan agu pork; heritage breed with intense flavor and high fat content.

Tonkatsu in a soft roll rather than sliced shokupan.

Tatsuta-age (similar to karaage but specifically soy-marinated, lighter coating) on shokupan.

Sasami katsu with shiso (perilla leaf) and umeboshi (pickled plum) paste inside; refreshing, tangy.

Chicken tenderloin (sasami) katsu sando; very lean, delicate.

Onigirazu with tonkatsu; rice + pork cutlet.

Niigata-style tonkatsu with sweet soy sauce tare (rather than thick tonkatsu sauce) sandwich.

Tonkatsu with Nagoya's signature thick, sweet red miso sauce on bread.

Layered thin pork slices stacked and breaded together; tender, layered texture.

Breaded deep-fried ground meat patty (like a croquette but meatier) on shokupan with tonkatsu sauce; juicy, homestyle comfort food.