Dossier No. 02 · Japan, 17th c. samurai estates
Akita
Stately homes where loyalty and quiet dignity are treasured above all.
- Stature
- Large
- Coat
- Plush double — red brindle, white, or pinto
- Temperament
- Noble, silent, profoundly devoted guardian
- Origin
- Japan, 17th c. samurai estates
I
History
Bred in the snowbound Akita Prefecture of northern Japan to hold bear and boar at bay for the samurai hunt, the breed was declared a Japanese national monument in 1931. Helen Keller is credited with bringing the first Akita to America in 1937, a gift from a Japanese statesman moved by the legend of Hachikō.
II
Personality
Silent, watchful, and profoundly bonded to one family. They are not effusive — affection from an Akita is a knighthood, conferred rarely and never withdrawn. Strangers receive a long, considered look; intruders receive an unmistakable warning.
III
To Live With One
A house, not an apartment. A consistent owner, not a committee. They prefer cool weather, a securely fenced garden, and clear, unambiguous boundaries. In return you receive a guardian whose loyalty borders on the literary.
IV
Notable Companions
Helen Keller's 1937 gift from the Japanese government — an Akita named Kamikaze-go — began the breed's American story.