At the time of the cultivation of rice, around the second century AD, cattle were brought to Japan from China.
What did the Japanese think of the cattle?
Until 1868, they were basically used as draught animals in forestry, agriculture, mining and for transport.
Thats very interesting, tell me more.
At the time, for cultural and religious reasons, meat wasn't eaten and milk consumption was unknown.
I neve knew that meat wasn't eaten at that time in Japan.
Basically, Japan was isolated from the world until 1854 with no chance of intromission of foreign genes to the cattle.
So the cattle were not bred to be beefy.