The organizer of a traditional bullfighting event in central Japan has held the bouts in the morning instead of afternoon as part of its attempt to protect the bovines from the severe summer heat.
The matches are held in Yamakoshi district in the city of Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture, and involve two bulls locking horns in a battle of strength. The season stretches from spring through autumn.
On Sunday, the bouts began at around 10:30 a.m. Spectators enjoyed watching the powerful bulls facing off as their handlers loudly urged them on.
A man in his 40s said the sound of the animals’ horns clashing was breathtaking. He said he wants to watch more battles in the morning because it is cooler than the afternoon.
The bouts have usually been held in the afternoon. The organizer says it is considering holding the events in the morning from next year onward, as some of their bulls have appeared to be run down in the summer heat in recent years.
Matsui Tomie, the chair of Yamakoshi’s bullfighting organization, said the bulls’ fighting environment has become increasingly severe as scorching summer heat has continued.
He added that his organization will continue to look into ways to overcome the effects of the changing climate in order to keep holding the traditional event.
AloJapan.com