OKINAWA BULLFIGHT! HD
#okinawabullfight #mylifeinokinawa #okinawa My friend, Cody, lives in Okinawa, and suggested that we meet him at the Ishikawa Dome, the only domed bullring in Okinawa, which plays host to some 20 bullfighting events each year, including the All-Island Bullfighting Tournament, the biggest such event on the island. Conveniently, the Ishikawa Dome is located just 15 minutes from my house, so I decided it would be a good opportunity for my wife and my five year old. Parking at the Ishikawa Dome was a snap – just find a space anywhere and leave your car. Since the main parking area is small, we found a great spot along the back of the dome on a side street. Admission was approximately $60USD for my family of three and upon entry, we found ourselves walking past various food vendors selling Japanese eats: Yakisoba, Okinawa soba, yakitori (grilled chicken on a stick), and even a small bar with local drinks. There were also vendors selling bullfight hats, t-shirts, and stickers — things you would find at just about any festival! Cody met us at the top of the stairs and led us down close to the ring. As I glanced around, I was amazed at how many families were there. Children were busy eating snacks and running up and down the stairs, and Cody’s neighbor was coaching a bull that was preparing to fight that day. The owner’s son (probably 6 or 7 years old), was running round waving his “team towel” and carrying a small trumpet in anticipation of his bullfight. There was definitely a family friendly atmosphere, which I appreciated. Music was playing in the background and soon the eisa performance (traditional folk dance originating on the island of Okinawa) began as the welcoming entertainment. As people filed into the stadium, we enjoyed a few performance before the bullfighting began. There were a total of nine fights, each of which were exciting and unique! Prior to a number of the fights, a group of supporters enter, wave colorful flags, and throw salt on the dirt arena floor for good luck. Each bull has its own team of supporters, managers, and owners, all of whom come out to wish the bull luck and to watch. The bulls then square off, pushing and trying to gain traction on one another in order to win. While the event is technically called a bull “fight,” it is really more of a bull sumo match, with team members taking turns shouting encouragement at the bull. One funny thing we noticed was that as a team member got tired of shouting, another would take over and begin yelling. The original, “tired” team member would then retire to a corner, where he would drink water from a metal ladle, to refresh himself, before returning at some point to continue shouting encouragement at the bull. This might seem crazy, but of course, the craziest thing is that these team members were each within inches of sharp horns and positioned such that they could theoretically get trampled! Once the fighting is over and a winner is declared, the losing bull leaves the ring a
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