Japanese Dog Names

Japanese dogs are widely featured in Japanese culture, whether it is in the form of literature, anime, manga (Japanese comics), film or television. A lot of these works of art have also crossed the borders of Japan and left a mark worldwide. The Akita Inu is among the dog breeds that are usually portrayed in these works, particularly in film. Hachiko is the perfect example of this.

The story of Hachiko is a classic in Japan. His true story was a prime example of how immensely loyal Japanese dogs can be. Hidesaburo Ueno, who was Hachiko’s owner, was a professor at the Tokyo University. Every day on his commute to work, Ueno would walk with Hachiko to the train station. At the end of the day, Hachiko would promptly be at the station at 3:00 in the afternoon, which is when the train arrives as Ueno makes his way home. This daily practice of theirs went on for months until one day, when Ueno suddenly fell ill while lecturing at the University. He died at the hospital shortly after. Hachiko, unaware of the passing of Ueno, kept returning to the station every day for nearly a decade, until his eventual death.

The story of Hachiko spread across Japan and was featured in different publications. Ultimately, his story became news all over the world. Statues of Hachiko were built all over Japan and his story was turned into a film, entitled Hachiko Monogatari. An American adaptation of this film, called Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, was also created and became a hit worldwide.

While Hachiko is undoubtedly the most recognized Japanese dog, there are other depictions of Japanese dogs in various works. The Shiba Inu is an example of another famous Japanese dog in pop culture. The movie A Tale of Mari and the Three Puppies, which is based on the real life Chuetsu Earthquake that took place in 2004. Mari, an adopted Shiba Inu, was able to get rescuers to save her owner, Aya, and her grandfather, who were stuck in their house in the earthquake’s aftermath. The movie, which was frequently reported in media, caught the hearts of millions of people in Japan. It was also adapted into a book.

Another familiar Shiba Inu is the meme known as Doge. The picture of Doge usually appears with broken English phrases in Comic Sans font. This meme is widespread all over social media and was even chosen as “top meme” for 2013.

The popularity of Japanese dogs has definitely grown throughout the years, thanks in large part to the different pop culture references and works where they were featured. This has also caused numerous dog lovers to choose Japanese breeds as their next pet.