The Kai Ken or Tora Inu (Tiger Dog) is a Spitz type hunting dog that originated in the isolated district of Kai (Yamanashi Prefecture) on Honshu Island, Japan. Experts believe that this is the purest and most ancient of all dog breeds in Japan. Tora Inu is the descendant of ancient Japanese dogs that were brought to Kai by the Jōmon or Yayoi peoples around 12.000 BC. There the breed left isolated for centuries thanks to the high mountains that surround the Yamanshi. That is, in fact, the main reason Kai Dogs bloodline remained relatively pure to this very day, but is also the main reason they have always been rare even in their native country. So, the preservation of the Kai breed begun in 1931 when Dasuke Adachi discovered for the first time these dogs in Ashiyasu village (now part of the city of Minami-Alps). Thanks to him, in 1934, Kai Ken Dog was designated a Natural Monument in Japan and since then it has been protected by law. Since 1982, it has been included on a definitive basis by the FCI in the group 5: Asian Spitz and Related Breeds in the class of primitive dogs. Continue Reading →