History of the Akita

History of the Akita
by George Jones

The Akita is a large spitz-type dog of Japan. The breed acquired its name after the prefecture of Akita, located on the northern part of Honshu Island. This dog was used as a hunter, guard, hearding, and fighting dog. The Akitas were introduced to the U.S. by serviceman returning from Japan after World War II.
This breed of dog is highly intelligent and unswervingly tenacious. Centuries ago, the Akita was owned only by the Shogun, the imperial leaders of the century. This dog was used to track large game and hold it at bay until the hunters arrived to make the kill. Some of the types of game the Akita tracked included antelope, elk, boar and the 800 pound Yezo bear.
The Akita has keen senses of smell, sight and hearing, making it a remarkable guard dog.
Two major setbacks occured to this breed during the late 1800's. The first, was the crossbreeding of the Akita with the Japanese fighting dog, the Tosa. This resulted in a dog of imposing size and aggression.
The second, was at the tun of the century, when Japan had a fatal outbreak of rabies with more than 3000 cases reported. Dogs both healthy and affected, were clubbed to death.
In the early 1900's two events occurred that focused positive attention on the breed. First was the story of Hachi-Ko, one of the most revered Japanese Akitas of all time. Hachi-Ko was owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Everyday the Professor would commute to work on the the train from Shibuya Station. Hachi-Ko would accompany his master to the station each morning and meet him and accompany him home each night.
On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train. But he waited in vain; Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at work. Hachi-Ko continued to wait for his master's return. He traveled to and from the station each day for the next nine years. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up his vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world renowned, and shortly after his death, a bronze statue was erected at the train station in his honor.
Then, in 1931, the Akita was officially declared a Japanese National Monument. The Mayor of Odate City in the Akita Prefecture organized the Akita Inu Hozankai to preserve the original Akita as a national treasure through careful breeding.
The second positive event was the arrival in 1937 of Hellen Keller in Japan. She expressed keen interest in the Akita breed and was presented with the first two Akitas to enter the United States. Unfortunately, one of the dogs died at a young age, but the second dog became Ms. Keller's constant companion until his death in 1945.
World War II saw the Akita pushed to the brink of extinction. Many had been killed and eaten by the starving populace, and the pelts were used for clothing. The government ordered all remaining dogs to be killed to prevent the spread of disease. The only way that some owners could save their beloved Akitas was to turn them loose in the most remote mountain areas. It was there that the breed's keen hunting skills and hardiness helped them to survive the war years.
After World War II two main breed lines emerged, the Ichinoseki and the Dewa. The Dewa line was preferred by the American servicemen due to the dog's size and presence. This line had lost favor in Japan due to what was considered "impure" characteristics such as loose tail curl, wrinkles, loose skin, black mask and black markings.
The Ichinoski line was used to produce the Japanese Akita of today. These Akitas must have white markings - mask on face, on underside of jaw and neck, on chest and stomach, and on the undrside of tail, and on inside of legs.
The Japanese Akita is different in appearance than the American Akita. Both are beautiful, neither is better than the other. It just depends on your personal preference.
During the 1950's and 1960's the Akitas made their way into the United States. The Akita Club of America was founded in 1956. In 1973, the Akita breed was accepted into the American Kennel Club's Working Group.

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