There are 3 main species of buffalo; the Asian water buffalo, the African buffalo and the American buffalo. Find the Japanese translation of each in the table below.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo やぎゅう | Yagyū | 野牛 | |
| Water buffalo すいぎゅう | Suigyuu | 水牛 | |
| African buffalo アフリカやぎゅう | Afurika yagyū | アフリカ野牛 | |
| American buffalo アメリカやぎゅう | Amerika yagyū | アメリカ野牛 |
Interesting facts about buffalo’s in Japan
The Asian water buffalo is originally from India and Southeast Asia where they can still be found in large numbers today. These species were also very common in Okinawa for centuries when they were used as domestic animals but today unfortunately there are almost none left. The very few that are still found in Okinawa are now used as tourist attractions.