“Shin-Akitas” (“New Akitas”) As Seen Through Photographs by Mutsuo
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The “Shin-Akitas” (“New Akitas”) As seen through Photographs By Mutsuo Okada The term “ Shin Akita ( New Akita )” does not refer to Akita dogs of recent origin, but refers to dogs of the Taishou Period (1912-1925), when ancestors of the Akita dogs of today went through a transient stage . Tosa (in Shikoku ) and Akita were centers for dog fighting dogs before 1868 (the year Emperor Meji replaced the Tokugawa Shogun ). After 1868, fighting dog fans in Tosa ( in Shikoku ) began to breed their (medium ) dogs to Bulldogs, and soon to Mastiffs, German Pointers and St. Bernards, all of which were large dogs. These crossbreedings were repeated until the dog’s fighting abilities also improved with increase in size and this resulted in what we now call the Tosa fighting dog . In Akita, fighting dogs were of the Japanese dog type. During the Taishou Period (1921-1925), some of these fighting dogs from Tosa were taken to faraway Akita to challenge the fighting dogs there. The Akita dogs were soundly defeated, although some of this may be attributed partially to differences in the fighting rules. As a result of this, many of the Akita fighting dog owners began to crossbreed their dogs to the Tosa fighting dogs , in order to improve the fighting ability of their dogs. Although this did improve the physique, fighting ability and endurance of the Akita fighting dog , these dogs also began to lose their Japanese dog features, such as the standing ears and curled tails so characteristic of Japanese dogs. These dogs soon came to be called the “ New Akita .” In 1925, Mr. Hyoemon Kyouno published the dog album, Kyouken Shashinchou (An Album of Powerful Dogs) for the Aiken Kyoukai (Dog Lovers’s Club) of Yuzawa in Akita. Included among the Tosa (fighting ) dogs and “ New Akitas ” of the Touhoku region were Mr. Kyouno’s male and female Great Danes, Bricher? And Gamacher?, which he loved and cared for. Mr. Yuujirou Sasahara of Tsuruoka (in Yamagata ) was a great dog lover, whose favorite dog breed was the Bulldog. He also did researches into dogs. After his passing, I was fortunate enough to have his son, Mr. Shintarou Sasahara, send me his father’s collection of books, among which was the album that I have just mentioned. I was also very impressed with his in-depth research. In Oudate , the Aiken Kyoukai (Dog Lover’s Club) with Mr. Yaichirou Tayama as its chairman, popularized these “ New Akitas ,” and soon, fighting dogs with the Japanese dog features began to disappear in Akita. In 1920, when Professor Shouzaburou Watase made an official trip to Oudate under auspices of the Ministry of Education to survey Akita dogs, he was greatly disappointed to see only the “ New Akitas ,” and thus these dogs were not designated as natural monuments at that time. However, due to Professor Watase’s urging, a few of the local dog lovers with primitive type Japanese dogs took this as an opportunity to establish the Akitainu Hozonkai (Akiho ) under the leadership of Mayor Shigeie Izumi of Oudate , and began to work toward the restoration of the Akita dog. When the “ New Akita ” champion, Dateisami ( Dateyuu ) (aka Gamata ), was defeated by the Tosa fighting dog , Amagizan-gou the “ New Akita ” soon faded into oblivion as the Tosa fighting dogs began to gain in popularity. Fighting dog fans in Akita began to believe that even the best “New Akita ” was no match against the Tosa fighting dog . 1 However, some of the “ New Akitas ” are said to have been used to restore the Japanese dog type. For example, Kin-gou (sire of Ichinoseki-Tora ), the first Akita dog to be declared as a natural monument, has the bloodline of Dateisami (Gamata) in his maternal line. When the Akita dog was finally declared as a natural monument by Professor Tokio Kabuagi in 1931 , the movement toward restoring the Japanese dog type began to gain in momentum . However, one was hindered for a time by the powerful genetic influences of the western dogs in the Tosa fighting dogs . In spite of these obstacles, one was finally able to overcome them to produce the large type Japanese dog , the Akita dog of today. What were the appearances of these “ New Akitas ” from the historical past? I believe that it is important for us to learn more about these dogs by studying the photographs of these dogs, although data on these dogs are very scarce at the moment. Okada, Mutuso, “Shashin De Miru ‘Shin Akita’ (“the ‘New Akitas’ Seen Through Photographs”),” Ouko Nihonken Shashinshuu (A Photographic Collection of Primitive Type Japanese Dogs), pp.124-129, 2002, Seibundou Shinkousha, Tokyo, Japan. ISBN 4-41670243-4. This article originally appeared in the Aiken No Tomo, pp. 465-469, September 1995. (In Japanese) Okada, Mutsuo, “Shin-Akitas” (“New Akitas”), Akita World, pp. 12-17, September/ November 2003. (In English) Note: Bold prints added to words by translator for emphasis. Translated and presented with permission from Mutsuo Okada by Tatsuo Kimura. Akita World, pp. ? September/October 2003 Revised 2/13/2006 by Tatsuo Kimura. 2 .