Best Japanese dog breeds

11 items • 57 views • 0 votes • updated Nov 3, 2026
Best Japanese dog breeds

Discover the list of best Japanese dog breeds below, ranked by visitor votes.

Based on 0 votes, Akita came in first as the best Japanese dog breed, followed by American Akita and Japanese Chin. See what else users recommended in the top 10 Japanese dog breeds list.

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Recommend the best Japanese dog breed

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Akita 1
Akita
Japan
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The Akita is a large spitz-type dog breed from Japan. It is derived from the bear hunting dogs of the Akita region, called Akita Matagi. The FCI standard describes it as a robust •••
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American Akita 2
American Akita
Japan, USA
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The American Akita is a large and powerful dog with a broad head, straight ears and a tail curled over the back. It was developed in the USA from Akita brought from Japan after World War •••
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Japanese Chin 3
Japanese Chin
Japan
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The Japanese Chin is a small companion dog with a broad head, very short muzzle and long silky white fur with black or red spots. His ancestors arrived at the court of Japan, according to •••
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Hokkaido 4
Hokkaido
Japan (Hokkaido)
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The Hokkaido, also called the Ainu Ken, is a medium-sized, sturdy Japanese spitz with a thick double coat, made to withstand frost and heavy snow. The Ainu people, the ancient inhabitants •••
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Kai Ken 5
Kai Ken
Japan (Kai region, Yamanashi Prefecture)
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The Kai Ken is a medium-sized, sturdy Japanese dog with brindle fur from the Kai Highlands (Yamanashi Prefecture). It was mainly used for wild boar and deer hunting and was declared a •••
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Kishu 6
Kishu
Japan (Wakayama and Mie)
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The Kishu is a medium-sized, muscular Japanese dog with erect ears and a tail carried over the back, most often white. It was formed as a breed in the mountains of the Kishu region •••
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Shiba Inu 7
Shiba Inu
Japan
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The Shiba Inu is a small, fox-like Japanese Spitz-type dog originally used for hunting birds and small animals. Wikipedia says it is the smallest of Japan's six native breeds. The FCI •••
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Shikoku 8
Shikoku
Japan
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The Shikoku (Shikoku Ken or Kochi-ken) is a medium-sized Japanese Spitz-type dog bred for hunting wild boar in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The FCI standard •••
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Japanese Spitz 9
Japanese Spitz
Japan
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The Japanese Spitz is a small to medium sized dog with rich white fur, a pointed muzzle, straight triangular ears and a bushy tail carried over the back. It was created in Japan in the •••
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Japanese Terrier 10
Japanese Terrier
Japan
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The Japanese Terrier is a small, elegant dog with very short hair of about 2 mm, tricolor head and white body with black spots. It is descended from Fox Terriers brought to Nagasaki in the •••
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Frequently asked questions

Is there already a ranking based on votes?

This list has not received any votes yet. The order shown does not reflect visitor preferences. You can help by voting for the options you recommend.

What is in this list?

This list includes, for example, Akita, American Akita, Japanese Chin.

How do I vote and how is the ranking decided?

Press the up arrow if you recommend an option or the down arrow if you do not. You can use the search box in the list to quickly find a name and vote directly. The order takes into account both positive and negative votes and how many there are, and positions can change as votes are added.