徳之島の闘牛における観客の動向と今後の可能性 <短報>

本稿では,徳之島の闘牛大会における観客を対象に,彼らが闘牛とどのような関わりを持ち,どこから,いかなる動機で大会に足を運んでいるのかを2回のアンケート調査の結果をもとに解明した。その結果,観客層は,大きく分けて牛主の関係者=特定の牛主の応援者,闘牛ファン=特定の牛の応援者の2つがあることが分かった。大会に来た回数では10回以上と答えた回答者が最多で,リピーターが多かった。全国闘牛サミットの記念大会では初めて来た観客が多く,こうした他の開催地との連携などの工夫が,新たな観客の誘致につながるといえる。初めての観客からは闘牛の雰囲気になじめないとの記述もあった。さらなる観客を獲得するために,初めての観客に「応援したい牛」や「応援したい牛主」を持たせるための工夫を提案した。

The purpose of this study was to clarify why people visit Tokunoshima Island to watch the native bullfighting event. I twice administered a questionnaire to visitors and tourists who had watched the event. This questionnaire included questions on their lifestyles, hometowns or home countries, and why they came to watch the event. The spectators could be classified into two groups: one that cheers particular bull owners and one that cheers their favorite bulls. More than half of the respondents had attended the event more than ten times, suggesting that repeat spectators play an important role in the success. Many spectators first watched the event during the National Bullfighting Summit hosted by the island, so to attract more tourists to bullfighting events, it is important to seek the cooperation of other bullfighting hosts and experiment with new approaches. Some of the spectators who watched the event for the first time felt awkward because they did not share the islanders' enthusiasm, so when encouraging new visitors, it is important to devise specific means of entertaining them.