Akita dog which is considered the largest dog among the domestic Japanese dog breeds. In order to learn about the attraction of this dog, which is growing in popularity all over the world and in Europe especially, we visited the Nakagawa domestic dog store in Osaka, which has a lot of exports of this dog outside Japan
When we asked Akita dog breeders, they all said the same thing.
Among them is Mr. Nakagawa gitaro, who runs the ”Nakagawa pet shop“ that sells Akita dogs in the sumenoiko District of Osaka city.
He specializes in breeding and breeding Akita dogs for 55 years.
Mr. Nakagawa is in good health despite the age of eighty, thanks to the indispensable walks of dogs in the morning and evening.
Entering the store, Akita dogs meet you with soft, erect ears and a coiled tail.
Small puppies are three months old, but at ten months of age they are larger than medium-sized adult dogs.
When asked, Mr. Nakagawa told us that " there are six types of Japanese domestic dog breeds that have been identified as natural heritage, and it is possible to divide them into large, medium and small.
The Akita dog breed (Akita inu) is the only one of the large breeds“. Other Japanese breeds are Kai (Kai Ken), Kisho (Kisho Inu), Shikoku (Shikoku Inu), Hokkaido (Hokkaido Inu) and medium-sized breeds, while Shiba (shiba inu ) are only small-sized breeds. But this is a Japanese measure, and in foreign countries the Akita dog seems to be a medium-sized dog breed in many cases.
Mr. Nakagawa says that raising an Akita dog is much easier, as the Akita dog always tries to keep what its owner says faithfully. Therefore, he is bred not only as a pet dog but also as a guard dog“.
One of the stories that tells the fulfillment of that dog is the story of ”Hachiko loyal dog“ symbol of Shibuya Station. After his death, he frequented Shibuya Station for almost ten years on a daily basis, waiting for his owner, who would never return.
His story was published in newspapers, and he received great sympathy throughout Japan. A lot of films and serials have been made about him in Japan.
And in 2009 the film ”RIA the faithful dog“ starring Richard Gere was a huge success, and the whole world became known for the existence of the Akita dog (in English RIA, or RIA).
"Loyal dog statue Hachiko" which has become a meeting and photo-taking place. The first statue for the use of its metal was shattered in World War II, and the current bronze statue is the second.
The first Akita overseas dog outside Japan was the ”kamikazigo“ dog that Helen Keller took with her after leaving Japan. In recent years, it is possible to recall the bitch ”Yumi“, which was dedicated to Russian President Putin.
Akita dogs have been exported to European countries such as Italy, Germany and others since about 30 years ago at the Nakagawa domestic dog store. Mr. Alain Delon, the hero of French films, is a customer of the store. He is said to have liked the first of each of the Akita dogs he bought from Mr. Nakagawa. It is also said that after the first dog died, he bought the other Akita dog from the same store.
”When raising an Akita dog in a cold environment, its hair shape becomes good (thick, erect hair), " says Mr. Nakagawa. Therefore, I think that the Akita dog is suitable for cold regions such as Russia and European countries. But in hot areas his hair falls out so it is not suitable for living
The first meeting between Mr. Nakagawa and the Akita dogs was 55 years ago when he was 29 years old. After working as a sailor on a ship to ship goods between Japan and foreign countries after graduating from the Inu ية school in Kagawa Prefecture, where he was born and raised, he began living in his older sister's husband's house in Osaka. His older sister's husband had a lot of dogs, and he bred Akita dogs, Chiba dogs, Inu, and other hybrids. While taking care of these dogs, he grew fond of them, and began selling them himself. The word“ domestic dogs ”in Nakagawa's“ domestic dog shop ”is a word we are not used to hearing, but it is proof that this shop began operating at a time when there were no so-called“ pet stores ”or“pet breeders".
At first he sold Shepard, Spitz and other dogs, but the order changed to ”Akita dogs first“. As he developed his pet-breeding expertise, he toured every region of Japan as a ”breeder“ who showed the magic of dogs to the maximum in dog evaluation meetings called ”Dog fairs“, and became one of the representatives of the Akita dog sector.
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Mr. Nakagawa says I have bred various dogs, but " Akita dog is the best one!“
In 1974 he was selected as a managing member of the Japan Akita dog Trade Federation, and in 1976 he became a certified expert of the Japan Akita dog Trade Federation. Between 1987 and 1988, he served as director of the Akita dog department at the Japan Kennel Club (JKC). Since then, he has built collaborations with dog breeder clubs in America and Britain،