It is said that humans have been with dogs from the olden times. After far more than ten thousand years have passed since the beginning of the history, various dogs of more than 300 kinds are living close to humans now. Dogs have been developed to be certain kinds of dogs to satisfy specific requirements of humans in a various way, such as hunting dogs, shepherd dogs, and pet dogs. But the origin of all the dogs was canis lupus familiaris, a domestic dog. They have been improved for certain purposes to maximize their abilities as humans’ friends or working animals to bring comfort and benefits into our lives.

The diversified dogs are now categorized into ten groups according to the forms, abilities, purposes, etc. “Japanese dogs”, dogs native to Japan, belong to the fifth group, which is a group of northern dog breeds (primitive-type dogs).

Japanese dogs are now recognized and being bred by people all over the world. But, what kind of dogs are Japanese dogs? Let’s go back through the long history of Japanese dogs.