Japanese dog breeds: the six native breeds and their names in Japanese
Japan has six native dog breeds protected as national natural monuments: the Akita, Kai, Kishu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and Shiba. Together they are called 日本犬 (にほんけん, nihonken, “Japanese dog breed (e.g. Shiba, Akita)”), and each has a name ending in 犬 (いぬ, inu, “dog (Canis (lupus) familiaris)”), the kanji 犬.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 秋田犬 | あきたけん | akitaken | Akita (dog breed) | The largest of the six; from Akita Prefecture |
| 柴犬 | しばいぬ | shibainu | shiba inu (dog breed); shiba; brushwood dog | The smallest of the six |
| 甲斐犬 | かいけん | kaiken | Kai Ken (Japanese dog breed) | From the mountains of Yamanashi; brindle |
| 紀州犬 | きしゅうけん | kishūken | Kishu (Japanese dog breed) | From Mie and Wakayama; usually white |
| 四国犬 | しこくけん | shikokuken | Shikoku (dog breed) | From Kōchi, on the island of Shikoku |
| 北海道犬 | ほっかいどうけん | hokkaidōken | Hokkaido (dog breed); Ainu dog | From Hokkaidō; also called the Ainu dog |
The ending of each name is read いぬ (inu) or けん (ken), so you will see both Shiba Inu and Shiba Ken. The dictionary lists けん first for 秋田犬, which is also how 秋田県 (Akita Prefecture) is read. Japanese Wikipedia says both readings of 秋田犬 are used: あきたけん around Tokyo, あきたいぬ in Akita itself.
What 'native' means: the Nihon Ken and their natural monument status
"Native" here has a precise meaning. These are the breeds designated as 天然記念物 (てんねんきねんぶつ, tennenkinenbutsu, “natural monument”) by the Japanese state. The Nihon Ken Hozonkai (the Japanese Dog Preservation Society, or NIPPO) says it was founded in 1928 to preserve them and keeps a pedigree registry of them. Japanese Wikipedia says the aim was to stop the old breeds disappearing through crossbreeding with Western dogs, 洋犬 (ようけん, yōken, “Western breed of dog”).
The dates of designation, from the reference work Kotobank:
| Breed | Designated |
|---|---|
| Akita | July 1931 |
| Kai | January 1934 |
| Kishu | May 1934 |
| Shiba | December 1936 |
| Shikoku | June 1937 |
| Hokkaido | December 1937 |
The Nihon Ken come in three sizes: one large breed (the Akita), four medium (the Kai, Kishu, Shikoku and Hokkaido) and one small (the Shiba). Kotobank describes the type as bred mainly for hunting, with upright pointed ears and a tail curled over the back.
There was once a seventh. Kotobank also lists the Koshi no inu (越の犬), designated in December 1934 and now regarded as extinct. Japanese Wikipedia says the last purebred, a dog called Maru, died in 1970. Other native dogs, such as the Ryukyu Inu of Okinawa, are protected only by their prefecture.
The six Japanese dog breeds, one by one
Akita (秋田犬)
The Akita was the first breed to be designated, in 1931. English Wikipedia says it comes from the mountains of northern Japan, and that it was called the Ōdate dog until 1931. It also says the American Kennel Club recognises the Japanese Akita and the American Akita as separate breeds, and that the international federation (FCI) split them in 1999.
Shiba (柴犬)
The Shiba is the small one: Japanese Wikipedia gives males as about 38 to 41 cm tall. The dictionary glosses 柴 as "brushwood", and 柴犬 as "brushwood dog", but Japanese Wikipedia says the origin of the name is debated. NIPPO calls the Shiba the oldest of the six, said to have lived with people since ancient times. Japanese Wikipedia says it makes up about 80% of the Japanese breeds kept in Japan.
Kai (甲斐犬)
The Kai comes from Yamanashi. Its coat is brindle, in black, standard or red types. The dictionary word is 虎毛 (とらげ, torage, “tiger stripes”), literally "tiger hair". Japanese Wikipedia gives males as about 50 to 56 cm tall.
Kishu (紀州犬)
The Kishu was developed in the Kumano mountains, in Mie and Wakayama, for hunting wild boar. Japanese Wikipedia says white is the preferred coat in modern standards, though red and sesame are also recognised.
Shikoku (四国犬)
The Shikoku comes mainly from Kōchi Prefecture. Japanese Wikipedia says it was first called the Tosa dog and was renamed around 1939, to avoid confusion with the larger fighting breed of the same region (see below).
Hokkaido (北海道犬)
The Hokkaido is also called the Ainu dog, a gloss the dictionary gives too. It was designated in December 1937 and given the name Hokkaido then, according to Japanese Wikipedia.
Other Japanese breeds: Chin, Tosa and Japanese Spitz
Some famous Japanese breeds are not Nihon Ken: the Chin came from China, and the Tosa and the Japanese Spitz were made with foreign breeds.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 狆 | ちん | chin | Japanese chin (dog breed); Japanese spaniel | A small dog |
| 土佐犬 | とさけん | tosaken | tosa (dog breed) | A large fighting breed from Kōchi |
| 日本スピッツ | にほんスピッツ | nihonsupittsu | Japanese spitz (dog breed) | A small white spitz |
Chin. Most people believe the ancestors of the Japanese Chin came from China, but how and when they reached Japan is disputed. English Wikipedia lists competing stories, from a gift from a Korean envoy in the year 732 to an arrival around the year 1000, and treats them as stories, not settled history.
Tosa. The Tosa was bred in the second half of the 19th century in Tosa (now Kōchi Prefecture). Breeders crossed the native Shikoku with European breeds, including the Old English Bulldog and the Great Dane, to make a bigger dog for 闘犬 (とうけん, tōken, “dogfight”). English Wikipedia says it is restricted or banned in several countries, including the United Kingdom.
Japanese Spitz. This is a white spitz developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. English Wikipedia says it began with white German Spitz dogs brought from north-eastern China, with other small white spitz breeds crossed in between 1925 and 1936. It is a small dog, around 30 to 38 cm for a male.
Hachikō, the famous Akita (忠犬ハチ公)
One of Japan's most famous dogs is an Akita: 忠犬ハチ公 (ちゅうけんハチこう, chūkenhachikō, “faithful dog Hachikō”), "Hachikō the faithful dog". The dictionary describes him as the Akita who waited every day at Shibuya station for his owner to return.
What the sources say:
- Hachikō was born near Ōdate in Akita Prefecture on 10 November 1923 (English Wikipedia says mid-November).
- His owner, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno of Tokyo Imperial University, took the train from Shibuya.
- Ueno died suddenly on 21 May 1925. Hachikō kept coming to Shibuya station for almost ten years.
- He died on 8 March 1935.
- A bronze statue was unveiled on 21 April 1934, while he was alive. It was melted down in the war, and a new one was dedicated on 15 August 1948. Japanese Wikipedia says 8 April is Hachikō Day, with a memorial before the statue each year since 1936.
- After his death his body was preserved. It is displayed today at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
The word 忠犬 (ちゅうけん, chūken, “faithful dog”) now describes any loyal dog, in Hachikō's honour.
Which Japanese dog breed is popular, and which is rare?
Most dogs registered or insured in Japan are not Japanese breeds. The Japan Kennel Club (JKC) registered 69,342 Poodles in 2025, 46,221 Chihuahuas and 30,615 Dachshunds, the top three of 141 breeds. The Shiba came 16th with 3,598 registrations. The insurer Anicom ranks new policies instead, and its 2026 list for 2025 puts the Shiba in 6th place, with 8,258 dogs, 5.5% of the total, down from 4th the year before. Either way, the Shiba is by far the most popular Japanese breed at home.
The other native breeds are much rarer. In the same JKC figures, the Akita had 263 registrations, the Kai 60, the Shikoku 51 and the Hokkaido 24. The Japanese Spitz had 1,467, ranked 28th. The Kishu has no JKC figure; Japanese Wikipedia reports NIPPO registrations of 220 in 2022, down from 1,450 in 1998. These count registered dogs only, so they are a guide to rarity, not a census.
Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-01.How much does a Shiba Inu cost?
There is no single price, and sources disagree widely. Tofugu says a Shiba costs about 1,000 US dollars or more. A travel guide, Voyapon, quotes about 7,659 US dollars for a Shiba or Mameshiba, without saying when or where. Prices depend on the breeder, the country and the dog's pedigree, in Japanese 血統 (けっとう, kettō, “lineage”).
Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-01.Popular Japanese dog names
The most common names in Japan are short and soft. Anicom's 2025 ranking, from 151,249 new insurance policies for puppies between October 2024 and September 2025, runs:
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | ムギ (Mugi) |
| 2 | ココ (Koko) |
| 3 | モカ (Moka) |
| 4 | ラテ (Rate, from "latte") |
| 5 | モコ (Moko) |
Mugi is the same sound as 麦 (むぎ, mugi, “wheat”). Anicom also has a separate list of Japanese-style names. The top boys' name is 福, and the top girls' name is 花.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 福 | ふく | fuku | good fortune; happiness; blessing | Fuku: the top Japanese-style name for a boy |
| 花 | はな | hana | flower; blossom; bloom | Hana: the top Japanese-style name for a girl |
| 空 | そら | sora | sky; the air; the heavens | Sora: in the top five of the boys' list |
How to count dogs in Japanese
Dogs are usually counted with 匹 (ひき, hiki, “counter for small animals”), and some people count large dogs with 頭. One dog is 一匹 (いっぴき, ippiki, “one (small animal)”). Our guide to counting in Japanese covers the numbers, and What is Kanji? explains the characters.
Practise counting animals
Count dogs, cats and other animals in Japanese with a two-minute quiz.
Questions about Japanese dog breeds
What are the six native dog breeds of Japan?
The six native dog breeds of Japan are the Akita, Kai, Kishu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and Shiba. All six are designated national natural monuments. In Japanese their names are 秋田犬, 甲斐犬, 紀州犬, 四国犬, 北海道犬 and 柴犬.
What dog breeds are native to Japan?
The native Japanese breeds are the six Nihon Ken: Akita, Kai, Kishu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and Shiba. The Japanese Chin, the Tosa and the Japanese Spitz are also Japanese, but the Chin came from China and the other two were bred with foreign dogs, so they are not counted as native in this sense.
What is the popular Japanese dog breed?
The Shiba is the most popular Japanese dog breed. It ranked 6th in Anicom's 2026 list of new insurance policies, and 16th in JKC registrations for 2025.
What are the top 5 Japanese dog breeds?
There is no official ranking, but by 2025 JKC registrations the Japanese breeds run Shiba (3,598), Japanese Spitz (1,467), Akita (263), Kai (60) and Shikoku (51). The Kishu has no JKC figure.
What breed of dog is famous in Japan?
The Akita is the famous one, because of Hachikō. Japanese Wikipedia calls his statue at Shibuya station a famous meeting spot.
What is a rare Japanese dog breed?
Of the five native breeds in the JKC figures, the Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kai are the rarest (24, 51 and 60 in 2025). The Kishu has no JKC figure, and Japanese Wikipedia describes it as the least registered of the six in 2021. The Koshi no inu, a seventh breed that was designated a natural monument in 1934, is regarded as extinct.
How expensive is a Shiba Inu?
A Shiba costs from about 1,000 US dollars up to several thousand, depending on who you ask. Tofugu and Voyapon give very different figures, so check the price with the breeder you are dealing with. Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-01.
What dog costs $1,000,000?
The most expensive dog on record is a Tibetan mastiff called Big Splash, not a Japanese breed. Guinness World Records says a breeder sold him in March 2011 for 10 million Chinese yuan, or about 1.5 million US dollars.
What are popular Japanese dog names?
Mugi (ムギ), Koko (ココ) and Moka (モカ) were the top three dog names in Japan in Anicom's 2025 ranking. Leo (レオ) was first for boys and Koko for girls. Japanese-style names such as Fuku (福) and Hana (花) have a list of their own.
Sources
- Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
- NIPPO (the Japanese Dog Preservation Society): About NIPPO and History of the Shiba Inu.
- Designation dates, sizes and the definition of the Nihon Ken: Kotobank, 日本犬.
- The breeds and their histories: Japanese Wikipedia, 日本犬, 越の犬, 柴犬, 甲斐犬, 紀州犬, 四国犬, 北海道犬; English Wikipedia, Akita, Tosa, Japanese Chin and Japanese Spitz.
- Hachikō: Japanese Wikipedia, ハチ公, and English Wikipedia, Hachikō.
- Registrations: Japan Kennel Club, 犬種別犬籍登録頭数 (2025). Insurance figures: Anicom, 人気犬種ランキング2026 and 犬の名前ランキング2025. Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-01.
- Prices: Tofugu, Japanese Dog Breeds; Voyapon, Japanese Dogs. The most expensive dog: Guinness World Records.
- Reviewed independently; the points about the readings of the breed names, the breed details taken from Wikipedia and the prices are waiting for a native speaker's check.