During the summer months bull fighting takes place in several bull rings on Okinawa.
I have mixed feelings on the whole situation. Compared to Spanish bull fighting it is delightful. Okinawan bull fighting is a battle between equals rather than men against beast. The Okinawan bulls lock horns and then push each other until the weaker bull turns and runs. The bulls are not killed, and are looked after by their owners better than many pets. Near where I live, you regularly see the bulls being taken for walks. ( Something I really should photograph now that I think about it. )
Some bulls however do get injured, which is hardly surprising when both combatants have a big pointy horn on either side of their head. With the potential for animals to be injured or even killed is the cost of this entertainment too great?
Okinawan Bull Fighting
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 
Hiya mate, nice pic!
I think with this bullfight, as you said it is better than the the Spanish variety, the point is that the action is quite natural; the circumstances perhaps arranged rather artificially by us for entertainment true, but the rut is a natural event that some would argue the animals needs. When we keep large male animals apart to avoid them fighting for position and claiming the lascivious spoils we are in a way going against nature. It is bad if they get injured and surely they could blunt the horns or pad them to avoid such things but the animals themselves do perhaps need this release of aggression. Even human males need that sometimes. They have similar contests in Indonesia and watch them close up made we think this is, over all, a good thing for tha animals. Some pics here http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?CreativeOn=1&adv=1&dtfr=&dtTo=&qt=Sumatran+bullfight&creative=&lic=6&lic=1&hc=&selectdate=1&txtdtfr=&txtdtto=&size=0xFF&ot=1&ot=2&ot=4&ot=8&imgt=1&imgt=2&archive=1&chckarchive=1
Talk soon
Damon
Interesting point about animals needing to release their aggression.
Fascinating photos from Indonesia – did you just come across the event or were you told when and where it was happening?
Chris
Pingback: Ukai – Cormorant Fishing « Chris Willson's Blog