Japanese Shorthorn
日本短角種
(most common name)

(local/other name):
• Nihon Tankaku Shu

The Japanese Shorthorn began as a composite breed. Local (now extinct) ‘Nambu’ cows of Honshu were initially crossed with imported dual-purpose Shorthorns starting in 1871 and then specifically crossed with beef Shorthorn (USA) bulls after 1917. Later, Devon and Ayrshire were added to the mix.

The Japanese Shorthorn can be found in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu (Japan’s largest island) and on the island of Hokkaido (Japan’s second largest island). The Iwate Prefecture in the Tōhoku region was formerly known as the Nambu District.

Compared to the Japanese Black, the Japanese Shorthorn matures earlier and has less marbled meat.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-18

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