The Japanese is a very old breed of bantam dating back as far as the early seventeenth century, when they appeared in Japanese art. They are a true bantam and have no large breed counterpart. They are the shortest legged of all bantams.
General characteristics of the male
The head is large and broad. The beak is strong and well curved. The eyes are large.
The comb is single, large (the larger the better) coarse grained, erect and evenly serrated with four or five points. The blade of the comb should follow the line of the neck. The face is smooth.
Earlobes are of medium size, red and free from any trace of white. The wattles are large and pendent.
The neck is short, curving backwards, and furnished with abundant hackle feathers which well drape the shoulders. The body is short, broad and deep, with a short and wide back. Viewed from the side it forms the letter "U" made from the tail and neck. The sadlle hackles are abundant and long. The breast, full, round and carried forward with the front carried slightly more forward than the tip of the beak.
The wings are long with the tips of the secondaries touching the ground just behind the end of the body. The main tail feathers should rise above the head by about one third of their length, fanning well and with long sword-shaped main sickles and numerous side hangers. The tail may touch the comb, but must not lean forward too far as to form too sharp an angle.
The thighs are very short and not visible. The shanks are very short and free from feathers, strong and sharply angled. They should be so short as to be almost invisible. There are four, straight and well spread toes.
The carriage is low built and cobby with full-feathered tail. They have a quaint, almost grotesque appearance, mainly due to the large comb; dwarfish character; and waddling gait. The entire plumage is very full and abundant.
General characteristics of the female
Allowing for sexual differences, the general characteristics are the same as those of the male. The tail is well-spread with the main tail feathers broad and the foremost pair slightly curved. The comb is large, evenly serrated and perfectly upright. If the comb falls to one side it is not a defect.
Colours
Japanese bantams come in a wide range of colours including: Black-tailed White; Black-tailed Buff; Black; White; Blue; Brown Red; Birchen and Grey; Mottled; and most Old English Game colours.
Japanese bantams are also available with silky and frizzled plumage.
Scale of points (Total (100)
- Type (55)
- Size (15)
- Condition (15)
- Colour (1)0
- Leg colour (5)
Things to avoid
- Narrow bodies
- Long legs
- Long back
- Wry tail
- Tail carried low
- Deformed comb and lopped comb on males
- High wing carriage
- White in lobes
- Any physical deformity
