history

Coming from the province of akita, on the island of honshu, under the name of "akita matagi" (hunting dog of bears). The akita figures amongst the medium sized hunting dogs.

The breed whose ancestors were Chinese dogs was later crossed with both the Mastiff and the Tosa ;

because of this the breed was used for a long time as a hunter of big game and a fighting dog. After a period of decline, the breed considered now to be the national dog of japan was designated as a national monument and has become very popular. This dog is the largest of the japanese "Spitz" type breeds and has become almost exclusively a companion dog. It is very prized in Europe and in the United States where another heavier (110 lbs) type of akita has developed. It arrived in France in 1981.

The true story of Hachiko the dog proves that fame in Japan comes to those who wait. Every morning, the Akita pup faithfully accompanied his master Ueda Eisaburo, a professor in the Department of Agriculture at the Imperial University, to Shibuya Station, and would be back at the station in the evening to greet him.

In May 1925, Professor Ueda died while at work, but Hachiko continued to turn up every day at the station. By 1934, Hachiko had waited patiently for nine years, and locals were so touched by the dog's devotion that a bronze statue was cast of him. In 1935, Hachiko was finally united in death with his master when he was buried with Ueda in Aoyama cemetery. The stuffed skin of the dog created a doppelgänger Hachiko, which can be viewed at the National Science Museum . During World War II, the original Hachiko statue was melted down for weapons, but was quickly reinstated beside the station in 1948. Today, this is the most famous rendezvous in all of Tokyo, though the throngs of people around the small statue and the rats that rummage through the rubbish in the surrounding bushes do not make it a particularly convivial place to hang out in.