As you will see, many of the Japanese dog breeds take the name of a special province of Japan so by having one of them you will be directly reminiscing that far and magic place. Some general features are a squared body, with strong and firms legs, a heavy and soft coat, big head and v-shaped ears in most of the cases.
They also tend to have a tail that folds over the body in a funny way. You can also divide in large (for breeds like Akita Inu), medium (Kai Inu, Kishu Inu, Hokkaido Inu, Shikoku Inu) and small (Shiba Inu).
One of the most familiar is the Akita Inu. This fantastic dog takes the name of a northern Japanese province (Akita) and it is believed to be the national dog of Japan. Due to its majestic appearance it was used centuries ago as an imperial dog guard and since then it has always served guarding jobs (with the police for example). You can find them in coat colors such as white, red, brindle and light brown. This is a very affectionate dog and it will get on perfectly with children since they are quite loving, but will get aggressive near other dogs and animals. They are very obedient, but if you want to really enjoy life with an Akita Inu you must train them firmly and constantly.
The Kai Inu is a black and beautiful dog and has a narrower skull than the other medium dogs. The Kishu Inu is mostly found in white color and this gives the dog a unique beauty. The Kishu Inu has a longer body than the rest of these dogs and has a slightly broader skull. The Hokkaido type appears in brindle colors. Finally, the Shikoku Inu is grey, white or red. All of these dogs have wild and protective temperaments and they are perfect to survive in cold weather and harsh conditions providing you take good care of them. Besides, they are all loyal and faithful to their owners.
The Shiba Inu is the small type of Japanese dog breed. This dog is quite similar to the other ones in appearance but the only distinctive difference is the size. For some, it is the short model of an Akita and to say the truth they resemble quite a lot. It is believed to be one of the most ancient Japanese dogs, being there from around 8000 B. C. This dog was bred for hunting reasons as well an in this particular case, agility, intelligence and independence melt together in a perfect combination.
Japanese people used to put in them spiritual and magic properties and this must be so because they always protected them and accompanied them in those cold landscapes and weathers.