Japanese dog breeds
Eleven breeds in Breed Guesser list Japan as their home, from the tiny Japanese Chin to the Tosa. Six of them are native breeds that Japan named natural monuments in the 1930s: the Akita, Kai, Kishu, Shiba, Hokkaido and Shikoku.
Five rounds: which dog is from Japan?
Which one is from Japan?
Which one is from Japan?
Which one is from Japan?
Which one is from Japan?
Which one is from Japan?
All 11 Japanese breeds
Shiba Inu
“Shiba” means small. A native hunting dog of the mountains facing the Sea of Japan, used for birds and small animals.
Breed standard
Akita
Also called Akita Inu
From the Akita region, where medium-sized bear-hunting dogs were bred up into a large Japanese breed.
Breed standard
American Akita
Its origin is Japan; it was developed in the United States from Akitas taken there after the Second World War.
Breed standard
Japanese Chin
A companion dog. Old records say its ancestors were a gift from the rulers of Korea to the Japanese court, in 732.
Breed standard
Hokkaido
Also called Ainu-ken
Came to Hokkaido with migrants from Honshu in the 1140s. The Ainu bred it to hunt bear and other animals.
Breed standard
Kai
Also called Kai tora-ken
From the mountain-ringed Kai district (Yamanashi Prefecture). A brindled coat and a hunter of wild boar and deer.
Breed standard
Kishu
From the mountains of Kishu (Wakayama and Mie Prefectures). A hunting dog; only solid colours since 1934.
Breed standard
Shikoku
Also called Kochi-ken
Bred to hunt boar in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku.
Breed standard
Tosa
Also called Tosa Inu
Made from the Shikoku-ken and Western breeds from 1872. Formerly a fighting dog, now a watchdog.
Breed standard
Japanese Spitz
A companion dog, descended from white German Spitz brought to Japan around 1920.
Breed standard
Japanese Terrier
A toy dog, bred from smooth Fox Terriers that reached Nagasaki from the Netherlands in the 17th century.
Breed standard
What are the six native Japanese breeds?
Japan protects six of its own breeds as natural monuments. The year each was named comes from that breed’s standard.
| Breed | Named a natural monument |
|---|---|
| Akita | 1931, nine dogs by name |
| Kai | 1934 |
| Kishu | 1934 |
| Shiba Inu | 1937 |
| Hokkaido | 1937 |
| Shikoku | 1937 |
Which Japanese breeds do people mix up?
Akita and American Akita. They share a history until the Second World War. Akitas taken to the United States afterwards were bred there, and because the American and Japanese kennel clubs did not recognise each other’s pedigrees, the two lines grew considerably different. The game treats both as Japanese.
Shiba, Kai and Hokkaido. All three are native spitz-type hunting dogs. The Shiba is the small one; its name means small. The Kai is known for its brindled coat. The Hokkaido came north with settlers from Honshu and was kept by the Ainu.