I’ve seen t-shirts that say (in Japanese) “Looking
for a Japanese girlfriend.” I’ve also seen t-shirts that say (in English) “I
love my Japanese boyfriend” or “I love my Japanese girlfriend” or another
similar sentiment. Me? I don’t want a Japanese boyfriend. I want a Japanese
cowboy!
A Japanese cowboy? Is there such a thing?
In the U.S., there are AJA (Americans of Japanese
Ancestry) cowboys. One is Matt Shiozawa, who competes in rodeo. On his website
(see links) he has Shiozawa written in kanji (塩沢). On
the Big Island of Hawai’i, there are AJA paniolos (the Hawaiian word for
cowboy). AJA Thomas Sakaguchi is a mule packer in Sequoia National Park.
Makoto Sekido wants to become a professional bull rider in
the United States. His wife thinks he’s crazy. She said she hates dreams and she hates people
who want to make their dreams come true. But she puts up with it because she
loves him. His sister thinks getting hit in the head by an ironing board when
he was young caused him to choose an unorthodox road, especially for a Japanese
man. He watched spaghetti westerns when he was young and always wanted to be a
cowboy. I don’t know if he’s still pursuing that dream, but if he is, I hope it
comes true for him.
Jin’ichiro Shibahara is another Japanese bull rider. He seems
to be having more success than Makoto Sekido is. He was the first Japanese
cowboy to become a member of the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association),
in 2009. Here’s a link to photos from a rodeo in which he competed: http://assets.espn.go.com//rodeo/gallery/35113420.html
He may no longer be a member of the PRCA, as he’s not listed in the Pro Rodeo
website.
There are a number of riding stables in Japan that feature
Western-style riding. The one that most intrigues me is Western Riding Club
Rocky. (The second link goes to their website.) They have quite a bit of
information about Western horseback riding and apparel (I especially appreciate
that when talking about jeans, there’s a picture of the Wrangler logo. My
favorite brand of jeans and the only brand I wear now!), as well as links to
other sites, including the Japan Cowboy Shooting Network. I’ve never done
Cowboy Mounted Shooting, but the demonstrations I’ve seen have been
spellbinding.
Please be aware that the majority of the links in the links
section are in Japanese. If you can’t read Japanese, there are free translation
sites, although their accuracy can be questionable. If you use Google Chrome, there’s a free app
called rikaikun which will translate the individual kanji, but it doesn’t
translate the page. If you use Firefox, the same app is called rikaichan.
For most Japanese, I’m sure their fascination with this
aspect of life in the U.S. is strictly a hobby and something they may keep
secret from all but those to whom they are closest. In a culture where
conformity is valued above individuality, the cowboy culture may be something
that is admired, but not understood.
My two biggest weaknesses when it comes to men are cowboys
and Japanese men. So whether he’s a Japanese cowboy who lives in Japan or who
has moved to the U.S. (or travels here periodically) to compete in rodeos or an
AJA cowboy in the U.S., I want a Japanese cowboy!
Links
http://assets.espn.go.com//rodeo/gallery/35113420.html
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