Kyshiu Chibi – Ultra-Rare Short-Legged Japanese Chibi Game Bantam

The Kyshiu Chibi chicken breed is a tiny, tough little Chibi game bantam with a short stride and a big presence. Think chunky Chibi Shamo with shorter legs and classic Chibi attitude, hard feather, tight outline, and that expressive, wrinkled face. You’ll see the name pop up on European show cards every now and then, even though it’s extremely rare, even in Japan.

Quick Takeaways:

• extremely rare ornamental game bantam
• a short-legged Chibi-type from southern Japan
• Kyshiu doesn’t refer to the island of Kyushu
• blocky, tight-feathered, upright carriage, wrinkled face

Characteristics

Picture a bantam built like a little tank: short shanks, thick thighs, and hard, close feathers that show off the frame. Heads read game: strong brow, pea-type comb, tiny to absent wattles, and red facial skin that can wrinkle up with age.

Their tails are compact and carried low rather than fanned. Even with short legs, the carriage is confident and upright, like the other birds in the Shamo family.

Name

According to Julia Keeling, Secretary of the Asian Hardfeather Club based in the Isle of Man and author of Shamo and The Spirit of Japanese Game, Kyshiu doesn’t refer to the island of Kyushu.

European breeders say the birds themselves trace back to southern Japan. However, the origin of the Roman spelling Kyshiu remains a mistery. According to Japanese insiders, the name doesn’t line up with any standard Japanese word in kanji/kana (for example, you’d expect Kyūshū/九州 for the island). In other words, it reads like a local show-room name that stuck.

Status & where it fits

• Recognition: not listed as a separate breed in Japanese standards. It’s best viewed as a short-legged Chibi/Shamo-family bantam line.
• Availability: vanishingly scarce! Per European breeders, no pure Kyshiu Chibi are currently outside Japan. Birds labeled Kyshiu Chibi in Europe are imported from South Japan, and can be Chibi-type crosses selected for the short-leg look.
• Comparison: If you know the group, place it between Ko Shamo and Tosa Chibi in feel, but with distinctly short shanks and a stockier build.

If you want to find out more about Japanese game fowl breeds, check out our articles on the Yamato Gunkei chicken, the Shamo, the Kyshiu Chibi, the Yakido, the Shoukoku chicken, or the Ko Shamo.