Article about Japanese breeds

I came across a very interesting pdf article on the web, and I thought I'd share.

The author is a Japanese researcher, Masaoki Tsudzuki, who goes through a long list of Japanese breeds - many of which I'd not heard of before - and gives info about their traits and a little of their history. At the very end there is a nice selection of color photographs. It's all in English.

There's the Japanese Bantam or Chabo, the Shokoku / Shoukoku, the Shamo, the Onagadori or Japanese Long Tail, and the Tomaru / Toumaru or what we call Japanese long crower in the USA; but also a host of other breeds including two more "long crowers" with differently pitched crows and totally different appearances. There are even the Japanese equivalents of early twentieth century utility breeds (ie. like Orpingtons or Buckeyes) which were eventually supplanted in Japan as elsewhere with commercial Cornish Cross and Leghorn imports.

The Jidori or Japanese old style chickens are a group of ancient breeds whose ancestors were brought to Japan more than 2,000 years ago.

Talking about the modern Japanese attitude towards traditional breeds, the author says "People mostly rear them to enjoy their beautiful figure", which I think is a nice way of putting it.

Here's the list of Japanese breeds given in the article, (not all of these are discussed in detail),

Fancy Fowl
Aizu-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Aizu) - from Fukushima Prefecture
Chabo (Japanese Bantam) - found in Tokyo, Chiba Pref., Kanagawa Pref., Saitama Pref., Gunma Pref., Shizuoka Pref., Osaka Pref.
Daigiri-Shamo (Single Combed Large Game) - from Yamaguchi Pref.
Echigo-Nankin-Shamo (Niigata Slender Game) - from Niigata Pref.
Ehime-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Ehime) - from Ehime Pref.
Gan-Dori (Aomori Creeper) - from Aomori Pref.
Gifu-Jidori (Japanese Old Type-Gifu) - from Gifu Pref.
Hinai-Dori (Japanese Dainty) - from Akita Pref.
Hiroshima-Tsuuji (Hiroshima Game) - from Hiroshima Pref.
Ingie Kagoshima (Large Rumpless) - from Kagoshima Pref.
Iwate-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Iwate) - from Iwate Pref.
Jisuri (Short Legged Large Game) - from Kumamoto Pref.
Jitokko (Japanese Creeper) - from Kagoshima Pref., Miyazaki Pref.
Kawachi-Yakko (Japanese Brave) - from Mie Pref.
Kinpa (Japanese Henny Feathered Game) - from Akita Pref., Aomori Pref.
Koeyoshi (Japanese Good Crower (low pitch)) - from Akita Pref., Aomori Pref., Iwate Pref.
Ko-Shamo (Japanese Small Game) - found in Tokyo, Kanagawa Pref., Niigata Pref., Shizuoka Pref., Kochi Pref.
Kureko-Dori (Kumamoto Long Tail) - from Kumamoto Pref.
Kuro-Kashiwa (Japanese Black) - from Yamaguchi Pref., Shimane Pref.
Mie-Jidori (Japanese Old Type-Mie) - from Mie Pref.
Minohiki (Japanese Saddle Hackle Dragger) - from Aichi Pref., Shizuoka Pref.
Miyaji-Dori (Kochi Creeper) - from Kochi Pref.
Nankin-Shamo (Japanese Slender Game) - from Ibaraki Pref., Chiba Pref.
Ohiki (Japanese Tail Dragger) - from Kochi Pref.
Oh-Shamo (Japanese Large Game) - found in Tokyo, Ibaraki Pref., Chiba Pref., Aomori Pref., Akita Pref., Kochi Pref.
Okinawa-Hige-Jidori* (Okinawa Old Type-bearded) - from Okinawa Pref.
Sado-Hige-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Niigata bearded) - from Niigata Pref.
Satsuma-Dori (Kagoshima Game) - from Kagoshima Pref.
Shibattori (Japanese Old Type-Niigata) - from Niigata Pref.
Shoukoku (Japanese Elegancy) - from Kyoto Pref., Mie Pref., Shiga Pref.
Tokara-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Tokara) - from Kagoshima Pref.
Tokuji-Jidori* (Japanese Old Type-Tokuji) - from Yamaguchi Pref.
Tosa-Kojidori (Japanese Old Type-Tosa) - from Kochi Pref.
Tosa-Onagadori (Japanese Long Tail) - from Kochi Pref.
Toumaru (Japanese Black Crower (mid range pitch)) - from Niigata Pref.
Toutenkou (Japanese Red Crower (high pitched crow)) - from Kochi Pref.
Tsushima-Jidori* (Tsushima Old Type) - from Nagasaki Pref.
Ukokkei (Japanese Silkie) - found in Tokyo, Mie Pref., Osaka Pref., Hiroshima Pref., Yamaguchi Pref., Kagawa Pref.
Utaicharn (Okinawa Crower) - from Okinawa Pref.
Uzurao (Japanese Small Rumpless) - from Kochi Pref.
Yakido (Mie Game) - from Mie Pref.
Yamato-Shamo (Yamato Game) - found in Tokyo, Saitama Pref., Fukuoka Pref.

Author's note: There is no evidence that the starred breeds(*) are real "Jidori (Old Type)", but they are generally called "Jidori".

Utility Fowl
Izumo - from Shimane Prefecture
Kumamoto - from Kumamoto Pref.
Mikawa - from Aichi Pref.
Nagoya - from Aichi Pref.
Tosa-Kukin - from Kochi Pref.

Best - exop

The Onagadori wasnt it that list ???????? What a shame.

Um, it's on there... the full name is "Tosa-Onagadori"... and there's a super photo of 2 Onagadori roosters perched on landscape elements in a Japanese ornamental garden.

Quote:
Oh OK I see it now I just looked at the "O"s and I've never heard the Tosa part at the begining. But yeah they are awesome looking birds.

It seems like several Japanese variety names got cut short or otherwise mangled when they passed into English... like the Shamo, I was unaware that it would be O-shamo in Japanese for the large breed Shamo, or Ko-shamo for a smaller type. Then there's spelling issues, like should the long O in Japanese be spelled "ou" or "ō" or "oh" or just plain "o"...