AKITA HISTORY by Sherry E. Wallis

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Prehistoric Japan
   During the Ice Age, the archipelago that now comprises the Japanese Islands was a crescent-shaped strip of land surrounding an inland sea.  At the northern end was the Siberian peninsula, and at the southern, what is now Korea. Stone age nomads followed game across the land bridges, migrating from different areas of Siberia into Alaska and into Japan. The earliest stone tools found so far indicate that people were in Japan as early as 15,000 years ago. 
   The descendants of these immigrants lived into modern times with the descendants of the spitz-type dogs who accompanied them and helped in the hunt. Excavations of Joman Period (about 10,000 years ago) sites have yielded the remains of these dogs, which are similar in type to those found with many of the primitive people of the Arctic as well as Korea, China and Japan Indonesia, and Australia.
   Recent archeological findings indicate that migrations from Korea and China began an agricultural society which gradually pushed the nomadic tribes northward. The melting ice sheets of North America caused drastic changes through-out the world.  In Japan, the rise in sea level created a chain of islands stretching about what is now the Sea of Japan.  The islands vary in size and topography as well as climate, which ranges from tropical to almost Arctic.
    Once the land mass separated into islands, the necessity for some type of raft or boat for travel between the mainland and the islands or between the islands themselves greatly restricted the exchange between them.  Differentiation between the native spitz-type dogs would have begun with the resulting isolation, and over time, each area's dogs would have become more suited for an area's narrower hunting needs.  These dogs would also become less generic in appearance as the number of breeding choices decreased.  However, the basic spitz type remained and persisted as this 16th-century manuscript illustration demonstrates. (courtesy of Les Ray)

Trading Partners
  Trade routes from the north reached the Ainu people of Hokkaido and Karafuto from Siberia and Mongolia.  In the south, the Japanese alternately fought and traded with Korea.  Their premier partner was the already-established empire of China. Their vigorous trade relationship stretches back over 2500 years ago. 
   China fascinated the Japanese, who at first enthusiastically embraced Chinese ways. They adopted Chinese writing and melded their native Shinto religion with the Chinese form of Buddhism. They also imported the techniques for planting and harvesting rice.
   Between the court aristocrats, dogs were a favorite and favored gift. The Chinese sent many dogs to Japan. They varied from the little "Chin" lap dog so popular with the Japanese ladies and their Chinese counterparts to coursing hounds that worked with hunting hawks. Among pictures of dogs used by the Chinese for coursing are ones that look like a stockier, hairier Saluki than we have today. These dogs were undoubtedly introduced to China from the Middle East and Europe by caravan trade along the Silk Road. 
   Although they assimilated many Chinese ways into their culture, in a cycle repeated many times, the Japanese gradually became more insular and underwent a period of isolation.  By the turn of the sixteenth century, the lucrative silk trade was carried out by an intermediary with ocean-going ships. The Portuguese, through Jesuit missionaries, had its sole custody, and through them, some European dogs found their way to the Japanese Court.
   The end of the Portuguese stranglehold on commerce with Japan began when the crew of a Dutch East Indies shipwreck washed up on Japanese shores  in 1615. With them was an English pilot, named William Adams, who caught the attention of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu.  Ieyasu made Adams a samurai, the only Westerner ever so honored, and called him Anjin (Pilot). Adams and his adventures were the model for James Clavel’s book and miniseries Shogun.
   Under Ieyasu Tokugawa, Japan shed its isolation for a while and opened its ports to foreign ships from other European countries.  With these Westerners came even more foreign dogs (kari inu). Most of these were of a sight-hound type. Ieyasu is reported to have kept 60-70 of them to course deer. (Kuga, "JD," 56) The popularity of foreign dogs coupled with little interest in breeding might have spelled an end to the native dogs had Ieyasu’s descendants had the same interest in foreigners. 
   However, by 1635, the Japanese retreated again to a period of national isolationism.  In 1640, Ieyasu’s son and heir closed all of Japan except the port at Yokohoma to foreigners except for trade with Mongolia, Korea, and China.  Japan’s isolation remained unbroken for two hundred years, ending when U.S. Admiral Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay and declared it at an end. His warship sitting in their harbor backed up his demands.

Open to the US and Europe
   Once again, Japan began a cycle of interest in all-things foreign, focusing on the Western world this time.  European mining engineers began working in the mines of northern Honshu's mountains. 
   Part of this area is now known as Akita Prefecture, but during the 1800s, it was called Dewa, and the main city, Odate.  Located far from the cities of the western plains, it was a mountainous, rugged, cold area.   The large game of this area consisted of boar, elk, and the small Yezo bear, like this one.  The dogs used for hunting in the north had long been known for their larger size. 
   According to breed lore, a long-ago nobleman developed one strain of dog especially suited for this type of hunt.  An excellent candidate for this legend was the scion of the Sanehide family who took refuge in the Akita area when the family fell out of favor with Ieyasu Tokugawa. Dewa was the perfect backwater for a Daimyo with little to do (Sanson, 415). His breeding efforts could well have been the beginning of the large Japanese hunting dog.
   In contrast to the rural areas, Japan’s densely populated cities commonly had dogs of mixed native and foreign stock. Except for the Japanese Chin, no one seems to have made any effort to develop or preserve breeds. 
   Dog fights had been a favored sport of the samurai caste for centuries.  While these dogs in earlier times would have had other jobs like hunting , with the changes brought about by Westernization, some dogs were dedicated to this sport. A favorite was the Tosa Fighting Dog, a crossbred from the native Tosa (Shikoku) Dog and various imported mastiff types. 
   To increase size and fighting prowess, the same kind of crosses went on in the north with the native dog of the Dewa/Akita area. Breeds likely to have been used were Great Danes (Deutsche Dogges) brought from home by German mining engineers. and Tibetan Mastiffs brought with Mongolian traders.

Prehistoric Japan
   During the Ice Age, the archipelago that now comprises the Japanese Islands was a crescent-shaped strip of land surrounding an inland sea.  At the northern end was the Siberian peninsula, and at the southern, what is now Korea. Stone age nomads followed game across the land bridges, migrating from different areas of Siberia into Alaska and into Japan. The earliest stone tools found so far indicate that people were in Japan as early as 15,000 years ago. 
   The descendants of these immigrants lived into modern times with the descendants of the spitz-type dogs who accompanied them and helped in the hunt. Excavations of Joman Period (about 10,000 years ago) sites have yielded the remains of these dogs, which are similar in type to those found with many of the primitive people of the Arctic as well as Korea, China and Japan Indonesia, and Australia.
   Recent archeological findings indicate that migrations from Korea and China began an agricultural society which gradually pushed the nomadic tribes northward. The melting ice sheets of North America caused drastic changes through-out the world.  In Japan, the rise in sea level created a chain of islands stretching about what is now the Sea of Japan.  The islands vary in size and topography as well as climate, which ranges from tropical to almost Arctic.
    Once the land mass separated into islands, the necessity for some type of raft or boat for travel between the mainland and the islands or between the islands themselves greatly restricted the exchange between them.  Differentiation between the native spitz-type dogs would have begun with the resulting isolation, and over time, each area's dogs would have become more suited for an area's narrower hunting needs.  These dogs would also become less generic in appearance as the number of breeding choices decreased.  However, the basic spitz type remained and persisted as this 16th-century manuscript illustration demonstrates. (courtesy of Les Ray)

Trading Partners
  Trade routes from the north reached the Ainu people of Hokkaido and Karafuto from Siberia and Mongolia.  In the south, the Japanese alternately fought and traded with Korea.  Their premier partner was the already-established empire of China. Their vigorous trade relationship stretches back over 2500 years ago. 
   China fascinated the Japanese, who at first enthusiastically embraced Chinese ways. They adopted Chinese writing and melded their native Shinto religion with the Chinese form of Buddhism. They also imported the techniques for planting and harvesting rice.
   Between the court aristocrats, dogs were a favorite and favored gift. The Chinese sent many dogs to Japan. They varied from the little "Chin" lap dog so popular with the Japanese ladies and their Chinese counterparts to coursing hounds that worked with hunting hawks. Among pictures of dogs used by the Chinese for coursing are ones that look like a stockier, hairier Saluki than we have today. These dogs were undoubtedly introduced to China from the Middle East and Europe by caravan trade along the Silk Road. 
   Although they assimilated many Chinese ways into their culture, in a cycle repeated many times, the Japanese gradually became more insular and underwent a period of isolation.  By the turn of the sixteenth century, the lucrative silk trade was carried out by an intermediary with ocean-going ships. The Portuguese, through Jesuit missionaries, had its sole custody, and through them, some European dogs found their way to the Japanese Court.
   The end of the Portuguese stranglehold on commerce with Japan began when the crew of a Dutch East Indies shipwreck washed up on Japanese shores  in 1615. With them was an English pilot, named William Adams, who caught the attention of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu.  Ieyasu made Adams a samurai, the only Westerner ever so honored, and called him Anjin (Pilot). Adams and his adventures were the model for James Clavel’s book and miniseries Shogun.
   Under Ieyasu Tokugawa, Japan shed its isolation for a while and opened its ports to foreign ships from other European countries.  With these Westerners came even more foreign dogs (kari inu). Most of these were of a sight-hound type. Ieyasu is reported to have kept 60-70 of them to course deer. (Kuga, "JD," 56) The popularity of foreign dogs coupled with little interest in breeding might have spelled an end to the native dogs had Ieyasu’s descendants had the same interest in foreigners. 
   However, by 1635, the Japanese retreated again to a period of national isolationism.  In 1640, Ieyasu’s son and heir closed all of Japan except the port at Yokohoma to foreigners except for trade with Mongolia, Korea, and China.  Japan’s isolation remained unbroken for two hundred years, ending when U.S. Admiral Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay and declared it at an end. His warship sitting in their harbor backed up his demands.

Open to the US and Europe
   Once again, Japan began a cycle of interest in all-things foreign, focusing on the Western world this time.  European mining engineers began working in the mines of northern Honshu's mountains. 
   Part of this area is now known as Akita Prefecture, but during the 1800s, it was called Dewa, and the main city, Odate.  Located far from the cities of the western plains, it was a mountainous, rugged, cold area.   The large game of this area consisted of boar, elk, and the small Yezo bear, like this one.  The dogs used for hunting in the north had long been known for their larger size. 
   According to breed lore, a long-ago nobleman developed one strain of dog especially suited for this type of hunt.  An excellent candidate for this legend was the scion of the Sanehide family who took refuge in the Akita area when the family fell out of favor with Ieyasu Tokugawa. Dewa was the perfect backwater for a Daimyo with little to do (Sanson, 415). His breeding efforts could well have been the beginning of the large Japanese hunting dog.
   In contrast to the rural areas, Japan’s densely populated cities commonly had dogs of mixed native and foreign stock. Except for the Japanese Chin, no one seems to have made any effort to develop or preserve breeds. 
   Dog fights had been a favored sport of the samurai caste for centuries.  While these dogs in earlier times would have had other jobs like hunting , with the changes brought about by Westernization, some dogs were dedicated to this sport. A favorite was the Tosa Fighting Dog, a crossbred from the native Tosa (Shikoku) Dog and various imported mastiff types. 
   To increase size and fighting prowess, the same kind of crosses went on in the north with the native dog of the Dewa/Akita area. Breeds likely to have been used were Great Danes (Deutsche Dogges) brought from home by German mining engineers. and Tibetan Mastiffs brought with Mongolian traders.

 The Interim Years in Japan
   During the years the breed’s popularity burgeoned in North America, scholars and concerned breeders in Japan continued their quest to learn more about their native breeds. AKIHO rose to ascendancy in Akita affairs and is still by far the largest and most influential registering body.
   So few Akitas were left after the war, that the Japanese had to work with with they had, which wasn't necessarily what they considered ideal.  To preserve the breed during the hard times of the war and immediately afterwards, some crossbreedings, especially to German Shepherds, had been done. Other native dogs were also used.  After the war, the Japanese breeders wanted to eradicate any sign of what they regarded as its effects.
   Eventually, two lines gained became the most prominent in post-war Japan.  Born about the same time in the Akita/Odate area were Kongo-Go and Goromaru-Go.
   Kongo-Go was quite a winner in the show ring and very well advertised.  He was what is  called kurogoma or black sesame in color, what we have come to describe here as a shaded black or black with a brown undercoat.  Dogs of this color frequently produced traits that Japanese breeders felt had been introduced to the Akita through crossbreeding for fighting dogs or the Shin Akita
   Because so many Tosa Fighting Dogs and other European mastiff-type dogs had been crossed with matagi inu during the heyday of the dog-fighting craze from the middle of the 1800s to the early 1900s, a very large dog of recognizable type had been produced.  Breeders called it the Kairyoinu or Shin Inu (improved dog), and many had drop ears, loose skin, and wrinkles.
   That these problems plagued the Kongo lines, and because they were unable to eliminate their prevalence in the black sesame dogs, Japanese breeders eventually abandoned them in favor of the Ichinoseki lines which were founded on Goromaru Go.  He was a red pinto with a blaze and black mask.  His descendants fit more of what they wanted--tight tails; unwrinkled, tighter skin; and smaller ears--so Japanese breeders moved forward in the decades after the war with dogs that steadily diverged from those they promoted and sold for export immediately after the war.
   The foundation dogs in America were from the Kongo lines.  Over the years before the stud book was closed, Ichinoseki dogs also found their way to our shores.  Many American breeders combined the two.  Akitas here are much more varied in color, size, and overall appearance than those shown in Japan.  As a result, American-bred dogs from imports that came before the stud book was closed can closely resemble Japanese imports coming into America today.  However, between the most extreme of the two, Japanese import and American bred, a considerable difference in appearance can exist.

Modern Japanese Dog Clubs
  For us, with one kennel club, one parent club and one standard, the world of the Akita in Japan can be rather confusing.  Three organizations still exist to register Akitas.  AKIHO is still the largest and most influential body dealing with Akitas.   AKIKYO was reorganized in 1988 and is still active, but NIPPO focuses mainly on the medium and small dogs. The Japan Kennel Club has assumed its functions regarding Akitas, since it is an all-breed registry and has had reciprocal registration privileges with the AKC and CKC since 1992, when importation of Akitas from Japan to America began again.

Japanese vs. American Akitas
   Problems between what has come to be called the American type Akita and the "Japanese" Akita arose first in European and South and Central American countries where the Akita is shown at shows governed by the Federation Cynologie Internationale or FCI.
   Since standards differ from one country to another, FCI policy has been to accept the standard from the country of origin for the breed unless none exists.  In that case, they use the standard from the country of patronage, that is the country that is recognized for preserving the breed.  For instance, Siberian Huskies no longer exist in Russia.  The breed was developed and preserved in the United States, so the AKC standard used by the FCI since we are considered the country of patronage.
   Obviously, a country of origin exists for the Akita, and their standard was used for the Akita.  The AKIHO standard was written in 1955 and can easily be construed to cover most American Akitas within its parameters.  The standard of the JKC, however, is much more restrictive, and when the FCI adopted it in the early 1990s, problems arose.
   Until then, most of the Akitas imported into FCI countries had been from the US and Canada.  Many of these imports as well as their offspring had achieved FCI championships.  The FCI’s adoption of the JKC standard for Akitas caused a great deal of controversy because it lists black masks as a fault.  Further, under pressure from the JKC, FCI instructs its judges that a dog with a black mask cannot be given an excellent rating, which then makes the dog ineligible for a championship.
   Suddenly people with Akitas imported from or descended from American dogs were disenfranchised.  Even their champion dogs were unshowable.  They were very upset by this turn of events and began pressuring their FCI delegates to do something about the problems.  As a result, this year, the FCI has divided what is one breed in the English-speaking countries of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, into two.  The "Japanese Akita" is comprised of dogs imported from Japan or dogs from stock that was recently imported.  Stock that descends from earlier exports primarily to the US and Canada is considered a "Great Japanese Dog (formerly know as the American Akita)"  The former are governed by the JKC standard, while the latter fall under what is essentially the AKC one.
   The issue came before the membership of the Akita Club of America in the form of a straw poll asking whether the membership wanted to the ACA board to pursue splitting the breed.  A sound majority of the membership indicated they were not interested in considering a split.
   While this issue has been debated, Japanese imports have been arriving on American shores. Some of these dogs have been bred to domestic stock; others have been bred only within the new import lines. These dogs have entered the rings of the US and Canada in both breed and obedience and have acquited themselves well considering how few dogs are here.   From 1992 to 1998, under a 100 imports have been registered with the AKC although more dogs of pure-import stock exist because of breedings since the original dogs arrived and because not all are registered with AKC.
   Currently, to accomplish this, an Akita has to be registered with JKC before export.  This requirement means that dogs of pure AKIHO registration already in the US are not eligible for registration.  Certainly AKIHO is the largest registry.  The web page for the JKC reports only 573 Akitas registered with it to date. Many of these were probably exported.
   Despite the outcome of the ACA vote and the FCI split, the issues surrounding them are hardly resolved.  Many websites explore both sides .  To help understand the Japanese viewpoint, a book brought by their delegation to the 1998 national presents their history of the breed.  The pictures of early dogs make it a valuable resource for any Akita breeder.  Copies are available from:

Jim Sjoberg

   In explaining the different direction they have pursued since the end of the war, the Japanese say that their goal is restoration and preservation of the native Japanese dog, that new knowledge uncovered through research is reflected in the revisions to their standard.  The JKC standard is more restrictive than either the American standards or the AKIHO one, allowing only whites, brindles, and reds which must have urajiro.   White markings are not preferred.
   On the other hand, in the AKIHO standard masking, either black or cream, is not mentioned at all. Their standard lists pintos, gomas, and blacks as acceptable, and this seems more correct historically.  This photo of an medieval scroll shows what is clearly a pinto spitz-type dog, and it is not the only such reference source (courtesy of Lee Love).      Whether AKIHO standard stays as it has been or moves more into line with both the choices of their judges as well as the JKC standard remains to be seen.

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REFERENCES
    Bouyet, Barbara.  Akita, Treasure of Japan. Montecito, Ca: MIP Publishing, 1992.
    Collcutt, Martin,.Marius Jansen, and Isao Kumakura. A Cultural Atlas of Japan. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 1988.
     Hiraizumi,  Ryanosuke,  personal communication to Tatsuo Kimura.
     Kajiwara, Naoto, translated by Tatsuo Kimura, My Thoughts on the Akita Dog  (Tokyo: Shin Journal-sha, 1975).
     Kimura, Tatsuo, "Rambling Through Japan, Fall, 1992," Akita World (l2:l, Jan/Feb., 1993).
     Kuga, Koun, translated by Tatsuo Kimura. "Japanese Dogs," Akita World (13:3, May/June, 1994)
     Linderman, Joan M. and Virginia Funk, The Complete Akita.  New York:  Howell Book House, Inc, 1987.
     Okada Mutsuo, translated by Tatsuo Kimura, "A History of the Kongo Line," Akita World (13: 1, January/February, 1994)
     Sanson, George, A History of Japan, 1334-1615. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1961).