Yup, but from what I understand it's come to be used in reference to the way they are raised.

so Kobe is a regionalized type of wagyu that carries it’s own certification regime in accordance with how the animal is raised and fed.

so like in you champagne reference , whilst there numerous champagnes, the actual copyright protected product is to be grown in the champagne region of France, and those growers that are under strict rules and guidelines of types of grapes, the way they are grown and tended, and ultimately the way the grapes are fermented and bottled into the final product.

so to be sold in the eu as champagne, it has to come from this area of France. I’m not sure if the US honors this or not.

so in like regard the Kobe region of Japan has identified the way that they think is a superior way to raise beef and developed their own brand of wagyu. So you'd be right in saying that it'd be like CAB beef certification, only about a thousand times more restrictive in where and the way the animal is raised and harvested.


as far as different, visually you can see the difference in the final product, I’ve never tasted the actual Kobe wagyu, so I can’t say for sure, but there is enough commentary on the food shows that the general consensus is it’s a superior product. 

But in the same breath, I, being predominately a hog guy and have harvested and consumed pigs raised in about every way imaginable, can’t really discern any difference other than this pigs has a lot of back fat or this pig has little back fat.

Otherwise the taste and eatability are the same to me.