Whether or not a dog lover, one always loves to adore these beautiful beings. Japan’s most precious breed, Akita leaves a smile every time we see them.
In the recent years, foreign ownership of one of Japan’s most famous indigenous breeds has skyrocketed, outstripping domestic demand for the fluffy, perky-eared pooches.
They are one of six breeds of Japanese dogs recognised as “natural treasures” by the government. But local ownership has been on the decline, with no more than 3,000 puppies registered each year over the last decade, from a peak of 40,000 in the 1970s.
“The housing situation in Japan is affecting” the number of people who can own dogs as large as Akitas, said Kosuke Kawakita, head of the Akita dog preservation association’s Tokyo branch. “There are many people who want to own one, but they say they cannot because of a ‘no pet’ policy at their apartment or because they live in a small place.”
The dog’s faithful character is central to the decades-old true story of Hachiko, an Akita who in the 1920s waited patiently each day at Tokyo’s Shibuya station for his master to return from work. One day, his owner passed away while teaching at the Imperial University of Tokyo but the faithful pet waited for him at the same station for the next decade.
Have you seen Hachi? After this trailer you’d definitely start watching it!
In China, the dogs have become so sought after that some pet shops began selling “fake Akitas” with falsified pedigree certificates.
