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| Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 71 |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | Japan |
| Distribution | Kansai,Chūgoku,Shikoku,Kyūshū regions |
| Use | meat |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Coat | black[3] |
| Horn status | horned in both sexes |
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TheJapanese Black (Japanese:黒毛和種, Kuroge Washu) is a Japanesebreed ofbeef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds,[4] and one of the four Japanese breeds known aswagyū, the others being theJapanese Brown, theJapanese Polled and theJapanese Shorthorn.[5]: 420 All wagyū cattle derive fromcross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe.[6]: 5 In the case of the Japanese Black, the foreign influence was from European breeds includingBraunvieh,Shorthorn,Devon,Simmental,Ayrshire andFriesian.[6]: 8 [3]
Cattle were brought to Japan from China at the same time as thecultivation of rice, in about the second century AD, in theYayoi period.[2]: 209 Until about the time of theMeiji Restoration in 1868, they were used only asdraught animals, inagriculture,forestry,mining and for transport, and as a source offertiliser. Milk consumption was unknown, and – for cultural and religious reasons – meat was not eaten. Cattle were highly prized and valuable, too expensive for a poor farmer to buy.[6]: 2
Japan was effectively isolated from the rest of the world from 1635 until 1854; there was no possibility of intromission of foreign genes to the cattle population during this time. Between 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, and 1887, some2600 foreign cattle were imported. At first there was little interest in cross-breeding these with native stock, but from about 1900 it became widespread. It ceased abruptly in 1910, when it was realised that, while the cross-breeds might be larger and have better dairy qualities, their working capacity and meat quality was lower. From 1919, the variousheterogeneous regional populations that resulted from this brief period of cross-breeding were registered andselected as "Improved Japanese Cattle". Four separate strains were characterised, based mainly on which type of foreign cattle had most influenced the hybrids, and were recognised as breeds in 1944. These were the fourwagyū breeds, the Japanese Black, theJapanese Brown, theJapanese Polled and theJapanese Shorthorn.[6]: 8
The Japanese Black developed in south-western Japan, in theprefectures ofKyoto andHyogo in theKansai region; ofHiroshima,Okayama,Shimane,Tottori andYamaguchi in theChūgoku region; ofKagoshima andOita on the island ofKyūshū; and ofEhime on the island ofShikoku.
Among the European breeds which influenced its development wereBraunvieh andSimmental cattle from Switzerland,Ayrshire,Devon andShorthorn stock from the United Kingdom, andFriesian cattle from Germany and the Netherlands.[6]: 8
In 1960 the total breed population was reported to be over1800000;[6]: 23 in 2008 it was reported as about707000.[3] In 1999, the Japanese Black constituted approximately93% of the national beef herd.[7]: 17
When registration of "Improved Japanese Cattle" began in 1919, there were notable variations between regional populations. It was left up to the prefectural administration to decide breed objectives. As a result, several different strains or sub-types developed with the Japanese Black population.[6]: 8 One of these is the Tajima strain (Japanese:但馬牛, Tajima Ushi or Tajima-gyu). Meat from animals of this strain only, raised only inHyōgo Prefecture, may be approved for marketing asKobe beef.[8]
