Shiba inu and Akita! Native dog breeds in Japan! #japaneseculture #japanesepodcast

Shiba inu and Akita! Native dog breeds in Japan! #japaneseculture #japanesepodcast

[Music] Hello everyone. Welcome to A Million Things About Japan. I’m Matko. I was born and raised in Japan, but I also lived in California for a little over 12 years. Then I moved back to Japan this past December. On each episode, I would like to introduce things related to Japan. It can be Japanese food, culture, and customs and more, but something unique, something really Japanese, and hopefully something new to you. So, please subscribe to the channel and find out what Japan can offer to you. Okay, let’s get started. When we lived in the United States, we lived in the Bay Area. A stray cat used to visit me from time to time. I grew up with two dogs, so that was my first actual cat experience. I think that cat was a boy and he showed up whenever he felt like it and let me pet him and we talked. I was not sure, but I think he had several houses to visit. And although he might have had other names, I named him Mocham. Eventually, we had to move to Sacramento in 2015. The morning we packed to move, Mochan showed up to say goodbye to me. How sweet. Those experiences with Mochang gave me the idea that a cat might be a good pet as well. The apartment in Sacramento we moved to allowed pets. Many of our neighbors had small dogs or cats. Sometimes I would see the little dog that lived downstairs. That tiny dog always boked at me when he was with his owner, but when I saw him sitting in the window alone, he looked completely different. I felt he looked very sad and I felt sorryly for him. My husband and I both walked and we knew if we had a dog, the same thing would happen to our dog. So, we started thinking about getting a cat instead because cats are more independent and need less care. We went to adoption fairs at nearby pet stores looking for a cat to adopt while gathering some information. I remembered thinking about our future cat while driving to work and suddenly I came up with a name. I had no set idea about our cat age, gender or even appearance. I just wanted the name to sound a bit Japanese. The name that popped in my head was Monaka. Monaka is a type of traditional Japanese sweet confection, which is two thin waffle shells filled with sweet red bean paste. It’s crazy, but I named my cat before even meeting her. One day, we went to the shelter and we met an orange 9mon-old cat. She walked up against my legs and even let me hold her right away. We found out later that she was not very open to human contact, didn’t like to be pet or even good with other cats, but I could see that she was somehow determined to come home with us that day. We found our Monaka. I’m glad that she is an orange cat because the name Monaka doesn’t match a black cat. We’ve been together ever since. She is now 10 years old and living in Japan happily. It may sound like I only talk about Monica. That’s true. But believe me, I used to be a dog person. I still love dogs. So today I want to talk about dogs in Japan. Here we go. First of all, the Japanese word for dogs is in. The ki character for dogs can be read in or can depending on how it’s used. In Japanese, we use the worden to refer to the six native breeds of dogs. These breeds are the andai or the association for the preservation of the Japanese dog is in charge of maintaining the registries of these six native breeds. They say that dogs in Japan lived alongside humans during the German period which lasted for about 14,000 years and were used as hunting dogs. Today I would like to introduce a couple of the popular nihong. First is Shibainu. Shibainu has always been very popular in Japan and looks very Japanese to me. Whenever I saw Shiba in the United States, I was very excited. I felt like I was meeting a new Japanese friend. The average height of a Shiba is 39.5 cm for males and 36.5 cm for females and the average weight is around 9 to 12 kg. It is the smallest of Japan six native dog breeds and it’s said to be the breed most similar to wolves. They have a double coat and come in a variety of colors including red, black, red mixed with black, black sesame and red sesame and occasionally white. They have a strong bone structure, a cared tail, and parked ears. At first glance, their tails all look the same, but they come in different shapes with some caring to the left or right, and some are even straight. I like Shiba’s curled tail. To me, it looks like their tail is sitting on their back. Shiba is a very loyal breed of dog. They are obedient, but they are cautious and their tendency is to avoid anyone other than their owners. Females seem to be quieter than males. Shiba are stubborn, so training them requires patience. However, they are very smart, so they are generally quick learners. There is a very famous story about Ichiro, the former Japanese baseball player and his Shiba. He started playing baseball in Japan, then moved to the United States to start his eventual hall of fame career for the Seattle Miners in 2001. Ichiro had a Shea named Iku. Ichidro loved Ikyu and moved to Seattle with his beloved dog. Ikyu passed away at the age of 17 after Ichiro retired from professional baseball. During his retirement interview, Ichiro told this story about Ikyu. As he was getting older alongside his dog, he drew inspiration from Ikyu. Even though Ikyu was getting older, he lived each day with joy. Ichiro saw a bit of himself in Ikyu and wanted to push himself to continue playing baseball as long as possible. Together, Ichidro and Ikyu were always good buddies. Have you ever seen a super tiny, super adorable Shiba? They are called mameshiba in Japanese using the word mame which means bean. Also refers to something small. Mameshiba were bred from smaller size Shiba and is a popular dog breed that has an adorable puppy-like appearance even when it becomes an adult. They are usually about 5 kg. Mameshiba has a bright and friendly personality and tend to be more affectionate than the Sheba, but they can be cautious because they are related to Shiba. Recently there are even smaller sheiba breeds and they are called auki shiba which translates to red bean shiba in English. They are said to weigh only 2 kg. Sometimes I see Instagram post about mamea. They believe the puppy is one of the smaller types. However, an unexpected surprise for the owner is the fact their puppy is actually a full-size Shiba. Nothing is wrong with the puppy. It is growing up just fine. But I can imagine how the owner feels too. It’s just a cute funny story. Mamesha Cafe is also popular in Japan. As far as I know, there is one in Harajuku, Asaka, and Akabara in Tokyo. They are very popular, so you might want to check their website before you go. Another popular nihong is the Aka. The Aka famous for the loyal dog Hiko is the only large size Nihon. Its ancestors are the ancient breed Akita Matag. Matagi is a Japanese word for hunter. The average height of Akita is 64 to 70 cm for males and 58 to 64 cm for females. And the average weight is around 39 to 60 kilograms for males and 27 to 50 kilograms for females. They have a double coat and common colors are red, white, a mixture of black and white. There are also long-haired Akita dogs called Muk, but they are not officially recognized as Akita, even though most people believe they are Akita. They have a very stocky build, long legs, triangular ears, a curled tail, and big round eyes. They kind of look like a huge sha, but Akita has a characteristic face. I can tell them apart by just looking at their face. Like all Nihon, Akita are loyal, cautious, and have a calm, gentle personality. Males seem independent and active and can be a bit nervous while females are relatively calm and docel. They also have a very affectionate side to their owners. Hachi is a famous dog which was very loyal to his owner Weno Hideabro a professor at the faculty of agriculture for Tokyo Imperial University which is now the University of Tokyo. The statue of at the Shibuya station is very popular. But do you know the story behind it? Hachi was adopted and raised with lots of love. began to accompany Professor Weno to and from Shiba station when he left for work. One day, Professor Weno suddenly passed away while working. After his death, continued to visit Shibuya station and wait for the professor to return for almost 10 years until he died. Did you know that there is another statue of at Tokyo University? It’s located near the Department of Agriculture at Tokyo University. It was created for the 80th anniversary of Hatchi’s death. I went to see it the other day. It shows the reunion of Professor Weno and Hachi and I was relieved to see them happy together once again. The story about Hachi became a movie in Japan called Hatiko Monogatari in 1987. I remember going to see the movie with my family. Hachi was cute and the story was heartwarming, but I felt sad for the dog. The story of Hatchi was known throughout the world even before the war. When Helen Kella first came to Japan in 1937, she visited the statue of Hachi at Shiba station. When she gave a lecture in Akita city, she requested an Akita. A puppy named Kamikgo was donated to her by Akita Prefecture. In 2018, Russian figure skater Alina Jakova fell in love with the Akita breed and asked her mother for one. Her mother said to her that if you do great in the Olympics, I’ll think about it. She won the gold medal and Akita Prefecture donated the one to her and she named her Akita Masaru. Seems like Akita are like pandas. They can be a bridge between countries. Popular dog breeds in Japan are toy poodles, Chihuahua, and the miniature ducks. I often see people walking Shiba too. Small dogs are more popular than big ones in Japan. Nowadays, in Japan, cats are more popular than dogs. According to the Japan Pet Food Association, the number of cats has exceeded the number of dogs since 2017, and that trend has continued every year since. One of the reasons for their popularity is that they don’t need to be walked and are easy to keep in a small apartment. Also, households that keep cats tend to have more than one. The idea of rescuing dogs and cats from sherars is increasing in Japan, but buying them from the pet shop is probably still more common in Japan. I love to go to pet shops just to see puppies and kittens. Sometimes I see ones that are a bit too grown, so I really hope they can find a home soon. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dog or a cat, but once we have a beloved pet, we need to be responsible for them till the end. My beloved Monica was not an easy cat to raise. I feel like it took almost 5 years for her to open her heart to us. One time she bit me really hard and I thought, “Oh, am I going to lose my leg this way?” When she sleeps in bed with me, I feel happy, but sometimes I cannot move my body. I have to be patient with her, but if she’s not there, I start to worry about her. No matter what, nothing has ever changed with me and Monica. I love you, Monica. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe. I also have an Instagram account for A Million Things About Japan. You can find the link in the description. Do you have a pet? If so, please leave your story in the comments. I would love to hear it. All right, then. Stay tuned for more episodes. Bye-bye.

Episode 11: Akita ken and Shiba inu, the dog breeds of Japan!

In this episode of A Million Things About Japan, I will talk about the heartwarming and fascinating world of Japanese dogs and pets!

From the loyal and dignified Akita ken, made world-famous by the legendary Hachikō, to the spirited and fox-like Shiba Inu, discover what makes these breeds so beloved in Japan and across the globe.

Whether you’re a dog lover, curious about Japanese culture, or thinking about getting a Shiba or Akita as a pet, this episode is packed with insights and adorable stories.

Like, subscribe and leave a comment to support the show and never miss an episode!

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