Famous Akitas in history beyond Hachiko
If your dog is an Akita, you already know one famous name from the breed's past: Hachiko. See the real story – guest starring your dog.
But other Akitas mattered too, including Kamikaze-Go, the puppy who became the first of the breed to live in the United States after Helen Keller asked for one in 1937. The breed's story also includes a Japanese natural monument designation, a near loss during the Second World War, and a later split into two separate breeds recognized by different kennel clubs. Here is what the record actually shows about these dogs.
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The story in 6 parts
A short version first. The full story, with every detail, is further down.
Part 1
What makes the Akita a historically significant breed
The direct ancestor of today's Akita was a dog kept as a guard dog and fighting dog by samurai and wealthy farmers in the Odate area of northern Japan, where it was known as the Odate dog until 1931.
Part 2
Helen Keller and the first Akita in America
In 1937, Helen Keller toured Japan and heard the story of Hachiko, the Akita who had waited at Shibuya Station for his owner.
Part 3
Akitas in samurai and farming households
Before it carried the Akita name, the Odate dog belonged to samurai and wealthy farmers who valued it as a guard.
Part 4
The Akita during and after World War II
During the Second World War, the Japanese government ordered the culling of dogs that were not classed as military breeds.
Part 5
How the breed reached and spread in America
American soldiers in Japan heard about Keller's Akitas and were drawn to the breed's loyalty and charm.
Part 6
How the Akita split into two breeds
Kennel clubs eventually came to treat the Japanese and American Akita as separate breeds.
Read the full story
Part 1
What makes the Akita a historically significant breed
The direct ancestor of today's Akita was a dog kept as a guard dog and fighting dog by samurai and wealthy farmers in the Odate area of northern Japan, where it was known as the Odate dog until 1931. That same year, Japan declared the breed a natural monument, and the mayor of Odate City organized a preservation society to protect it through careful breeding. Its roots go back further still to the Matagi, traditional hunters of the Tohoku region who used medium sized dogs to track and subdue bears, boar, and other large game in snow covered mountains. If you own an Akita today, you are living with a breed whose working history runs through both hunting camps and a samurai household.
Part 2
Helen Keller and the first Akita in America
In 1937, Helen Keller toured Japan and heard the story of Hachiko, the Akita who had waited at Shibuya Station for his owner. Moved by the story, Keller said she would like an Akita of her own, and a young police officer named Ichiro Ogasawara arranged to give her one of his puppies. The puppy, named Kamikaze-Go, became the first Akita to live on American soil. Keller wrote warmly about him, saying he had all the qualities that appealed to her because he was gentle, companionable, and trusty. If you have ever bonded quickly with a new dog, you may recognize the feeling Keller described. Kamikaze died of distemper before he reached eight months of age, and Keller was heartbroken. The Japanese government then sent her Kamikaze's brother, Kenzan-Go, whom she nicknamed Go-Go, and photographs of the two of them together helped introduce Americans to the breed.
Part 3
Akitas in samurai and farming households
Before it carried the Akita name, the Odate dog belonged to samurai and wealthy farmers who valued it as a guard. During the Edo period, the Satake clan ruled the region, and the Satake West family, who kept Odate Castle, is said to have encouraged dogfighting among their vassals' dogs. A famous dog named Moku, kept at a temple in Odate in the late Edo period, was said to stand about 85 centimeters at the shoulder, large enough to carry an adult on its back. That account suggests the breed had already grown large by the end of the Edo period.
Part 4
The Akita during and after World War II
During the Second World War, the Japanese government ordered the culling of dogs that were not classed as military breeds. Because the Akita was considered a non-military breed, some were crossed with German Shepherds in an attempt to save them from that order. Some were used as scouts and guards during the war. A native Japanese breed known as the Matagi Inu, along with the Hokkaido Inu, was used to mix back into the remaining Akita dogs to restore the breed. There were many lines of Akita, but the most influential were the Dewa and Ichinoseki, and many exported dogs were a combination of these lines. It is worth remembering, if you love the breed today, how close it came to disappearing.
Part 5
How the breed reached and spread in America
American soldiers in Japan heard about Keller's Akitas and were drawn to the breed's loyalty and charm. Soldiers who had served in Japan brought Akitas home with them. The breed was eventually recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1973. If your own dog's family history reaches back that far, it likely runs through both a Japanese preservation effort and an American postwar wave of adopters.
Part 6
How the Akita split into two breeds
Kennel clubs eventually came to treat the Japanese and American Akita as separate breeds. For the Federation Cynologique Internationale, which covers 84 member countries, the formal split happened in June 1999, when the American type was given its own name, the Great Japanese Dog, later renamed the American Akita in January 2006. The United Kennel Club, The Kennel Club, the Australian National Kennel Council, the New Zealand Kennel Club, and the Japan Kennel Club all treat the Japanese and American Akita as separate breeds. The American Kennel Club followed in 2020, when it stopped allowing free breeding between the two types and began treating them as distinct breeds. So if you are researching your own dog's pedigree, it matters which side of that 1999 to 2020 split its ancestors fall on.
Questions people ask
Why is the Akita considered a national symbol in Japan?
Japan declared the Akita a natural monument in 1931. Hachiko, an Akita, waited for his owner at Shibuya Station for years after his death.
What happened to Helen Keller's Akita?
Keller's first Akita, Kamikaze-Go, was a gift from Japan in 1937 and became the first Akita to live in the United States, but he died of distemper before he turned eight months old. The Japanese government then sent her Kamikaze's brother, Kenzan-Go, whom she nicknamed Go-Go.
How did World War II affect the Akita breed?
Wartime orders called for culling dogs not classed as military breeds, and some Akitas were crossed with German Shepherds in an attempt to save them, while others served as scouts and guards.
Are the American Akita and Japanese Akita Inu the same breed?
No, several kennel clubs now treat them as separate breeds, including the American Kennel Club since 2020 and the Federation Cynologique Internationale since a 1999 split that later led to the American Akita name in 2006.
Why were Akitas historically kept by samurai and wealthy households in Japan?
The breed's direct ancestor was kept by samurai and wealthy farmers in the Odate area as a guard dog and fighting dog.
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Sources
- Akita (dog breed) - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
- Helen Keller and the First Akitas in the United States. Psychology Today.
- Helen Keller, Accomplished & Inspirational Icon, Was a Lifelong Dog Lover. American Kennel Club.
- Deep and Beautiful Bond between Helen Keller and Akita Dogs. Akitainu News.
- Did You Know Helen Keller Started The Akita Breed In The United States?. DeafNiche, Apr 2, 2018.
- Helen Keller with Kamikaze. www.digitalcommonwealth.org.
- Helen Keller and the Dog Breed She Brought to the USA - Commonplace Fun Facts. Commonplace Fun Facts, Mar 28, 2019.
- Paws and Reflect: Helen Keller and Her Dogs | American Printing House. www.aph.org, Jun 27, 2025.
Written by TimeWalkies EditorialLast updated How we research