also known as ''ushi-zumo'' or Bull sumo, is a spectator sport native to the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yona ...

of Japan ( Okinawa Prefecture and the

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is an archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is southwest of ...

of Kagoshima Prefecture). It is also held in other regions of Japan, such as Iwate Prefecture,

Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and ...

, Shimane Prefecture, and

Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tok ...

. Although sometimes known to

Westerners The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

as "Okinawan bullfighting", it is drastically different from the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

style of bullfighting where the matches are between a bull and a human, with blood being spilt. ''Tōgyū'' has more in common with northern Portugal's sport of ''chegas'' and the Swiss sport of

cow fighting Combat de Reines or Swiss Cow fighting; (french: Combat de Reines), is a traditional event held mostly in the Swiss canton of Valais, in which a cow fights another cow (unlike bullfighting, in which humans fight bulls, often to the death). Each yea ...

. During matches, the bulls lock horns and attempt to force each other to give up ground. Each bull has a coach who helps to keep the bulls locked in conflict and encourages their bull to win. The match is over when one of the bulls tires and withdraws, losing the match. The coaches take great care to prevent the bulls from harming each other and the fight is immediately over if one of them accidentally gores the other.

History

The sport started at least as early as the 12th century, with farmers pitting bulls against each other as a fun sport. Although the exact year in which ''tōgyū'' was started is not known, the second half of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

is when it began to get popular throughout Okinawa.http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~office21/history.html&prev=/language_tools Big Globe's Tōgyu history page(In Japanese) In 1907, ''tōgyū'' became popular enough in the cities of Itoman, Gushikawa, Katsuren and Yonagusuku to start receiving coverage in local newspapers. During the

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

, prior to the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, ''tōgyū'' reached new heights of popularity. So great was its popularity that a village is said to have banned it because the villagers spent too much time enjoying the fights, instead of working in the fields. During the Ryukyu Islands campaign of World War II, the fights ceased, as the Ryukyu Islands became a war zone. Only a few months after the war's end on August 14, 1945, the fights began again. Between 1950 and 1960, rules became codified and conferences became formed in order to organize the events. In 1965, popularity peaked, with one event bringing in 10,000 spectators. The sport is deeply ingrained in the local culture of the Ryukyu island of

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative ...

, where bullfights are major cultural events and bull owners use their bulls as markers of social status. Because of the importance of ''tōgyu'' in Tokunoshima, the island's mascot and much local iconography is a ''tōgyu'' bull.

Ranking

Just as in sumo, bulls are ranked by their ability, with the top position in both sports being known as

yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

. Similarities continue down the ranking chain as ''tōgyū'' has mirrored sumo's ranking terms. Unlike in sumo, there are weight classes and thus lighter bulls are not expected to compete against the heavier ones.

References

External links

Okinawa.com

Biglobe.ne.jp
(In Japanese)
Tougyu.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Togyu Animal combat sports Cattle Tourist attractions in Okinawa Prefecture Ryukyuan culture Sport in Japan Sport in Okinawa Prefecture Bull sports Animal combat organized by humans ja:闘牛

History

Ranking

See also

References

External links