Ichimon Japan Podcasts

What are Japan’s most famous dogs? (5 Famous Japanese Dogs + an Afro Dog) Ichimon Japan 48

By Tony R. Vega

Posted on July 21, 2021

8 min read

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On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are Japan’s most famous dogs?

Topics Discussed

Who Japan’s most famous dogs are
About Yukimaru, Prince Shotoku Taishi’s beloved dog
About Prince Shotoku Taishi
Yukimaru’s supposed ability to talk to Shotoku Taishi and chant Buddhist sutras
The drone Nara made based on Yukimaru
Sakhalin huskies/Karafuto-ken
The story of Taro and Jiro
The movie Nankyoku Monogatari (Antarctica)
The character Afro Ken and the Afro Ken OVA
Saigo Takamori’s dog Tsun
Tsun the dog’s droopy ears
Saigo Takamori’s statue at Ueno Park
The story of Hachiko the dog
The argument over whether Hachiko’s birthday was on November 10th, 14th, or 20th
About Saito Hirokichi
The Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station
The history of the Hachiko statue
Hachiko’s droopy left ear and not curly tail
How Hachiko’s grandson Tetsu supposedly got eaten as sukiyaki
Hachiko’s death
The yakitori skewers found in Hachiko’s stomach after his death
Utilizing Hachiko as a nationalistic symbol
And much more!

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Support on Patreon

Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are some of the English-language sources used for this episode.

Here are some of the Japanese-language sources used for this episode.

To purchase Empire of Dogs: Canines, Japan and the Making of the Modern Imperial World please consider using the Amazon affiliate link below.

Empire of Dogs: Canines, Japan, and the Making of the Modern Imperial World (Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University)

Here are the videos of the theme songs of the Yukimaru mascot character.

聖徳太子の愛犬ゆきまる(歌:川本三栄子)

ＬｏｖｅＬｏｖｅゆきまる！（歌入り）

Here is the video of the Afro-Ken OVA.

Afro-Ken OVA

To watch the Japanese TV show about the story of Hachiko that was mentioned during this episode, use the links below. The episode is split up into multiple parts.

Here is the JapanKyo.com article about Nara’s Yukimaru drone.

Nara Unveils A Super Cute Drone Version Of Their Canine Mascot! (Video)

Here are the previous Ichimon Japan episodes that were mentioned during this one.

To listen to the latest episode of the Japan Station podcast, use the link below.

Support the show by picking up a t-shirt at KimitoDesigns.com.

Check out Kimito Designs

Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC.

Kotowaza
- ことわざ (n) proverb; saying; aphorism; maxim
Inu
- 犬 : 犬(P); 狗【いぬ(P); イヌ】 (n) (1) dog (Canis (lupus) familiaris)
Aiken
- 愛犬【あいけん】 (n) (1) pet dog; beloved dog
Sōri
- 総理 : 総理(P); 綜理【そうり】 (n) (1) (abbr) (See 内閣総理大臣) prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier; (n,vs) (2) (orig. meaning) leading; overseeing; leader; overseer; president

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We’re always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.