There are six breeds of dogs native to Japan. Together, they are known as the Nihon Ken, which means “Japanese Dogs”. The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the Nihon Ken, followed by the Hokkaido, the Kai Ken, the Kishu, Shikoku, and the Akita.
Umma the Hokkaido. Photo courtesy of Jason Flemming.
Hokkaido
The Hokkaido (Hokka) is the northernmost breed in Japan. They have been traditional companions of the Ainu people for thousands of years, used to hunt deer and bears. Today they are companions and shown.
Otusan, is the Hokkaido spokesdog for the SoftBank company in Japan. Check out his adorable commercials here.
Hokka are a medium sized dog, about 40 to 45 pounds fully grown. Females are a bit smaller. Then can be white, brindle, black, red, or sesame. They are active, loyal, and keen to be with their owners at all times.
Unfortunately, Hokkaido registrations are declining rapidly in Japan. People in the city prefer smaller dogs as pets, and the Hokkaido breeders tend to be elderly gentlemen who are retiring from breeding. Hokka enthusiasts around the world are making an effort to import them and start foundation populations in other countries. If you may be interested in an active companion and are keen to help preserve an ancient breed, do contact the Hokkaido Association of North America.
Karisu the Kai. Photo courtesy of Tain Marie.
Kai Ken
Kai are another medium sized Japanese breed, always brindle in color. They were used to hunt boar and deer. Because they often hunted in packs, they are the most dog-social of the Nihon ken. Kai are known for bonding closely with their familiy members and have moderate energy. There is already a small group of active Kai enthusiasts in the United States.
Momo is a Kai Ken owned by Debbie Brandt of HelloKennel. Momo enjoys particpating in Reading with Rover, a program which encourages children to read out loud to patient pups.
More Information
For Hokkaido, check out the Hana Project.
For Kai:
Debbie Brandt’s website: HelloKennel
Tain Marie’s website: Hayaikaze
The American Kennel Club FSS affiliated Kai Ken Society of America
For Shiba:
The American Kennel Club breed club: National Shiba Club of America
The Pacific Northwest Shiba breed club: Evergreen Shiba Club
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More information on Japanese dogs in general can be found at the following links:
Japanese Dogs Around the World
Photos above: Top left – Naka, Hokkaido puppy. Top center – Momo, Kai Ken, Top right – Meitou, Hokkaido. Bottom left – Karisu, Kai Ken. Bottom left – Arashi, Hokkaido (left) and Eva, Shiba Inu (right). Photos coutesy of Debbie Brandt, Tain Marie, Karolyn Turner, and Lindsay Tompkins.
Piper's Creek Shibas 