Breeds of Mishima
A small island in the Sea of Japan whose native black cattle, never crossed with foreign breeds, are a national natural monument.
Breeds of this place
Best time: April to October, when sea crossings are calmer.
Mishima is a small island about 45 kilometres off Hagi, on the Sea of Japan coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Its isolation kept its cattle apart when Japan's other native cattle were crossed with European breeds from the late nineteenth century. The Mishima cattle are one of only two surviving unmixed native Japanese breeds, and were named a natural monument of Japan in 1928.
The Mishima cattle
Mishima cattle are small and black, sturdy and docile, with short horns. They were kept for ploughing the island's steep fields and for hauling. They are close to the ancestral type from which the Japanese Black was developed. The herd is small, a hundred or so animals, and is cared for by islanders with public support.
Island farming
The island's farmers grow rice, vegetables and fruit, and the cattle graze small pastures by the sea. Mishima bulls have also been crossed with Holstein cows to raise beef cattle on the mainland, a way to give the native cattle a wider role while the pure herd is kept on the island.
A trail idea for Mishima
- Hagi The old castle town on the mainland, where ferries leave for Mishima.
- Mishima port The island's harbour and village.
- Island pastures Small grazing fields above the sea.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Mishima cattle" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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