The History of the Kai Ken
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The Kai Ken originated in Yamanashi prefecture, or Kai-No-Kuni as it was known then. It is said that the hometown of the Kai Ken is Ashiyasu Village in Minami-Alps City. This area, mountainous and isolated, was difficult to access. This meant that as Japan opened to the world and the native breeds were beginning to crossbreed with western dogs, the Kai remained mostly untouched during this time. In this area, hunting was an important part of daily life, and the Kai Ken played an important role in hunting a large variety of game from pheasants, deer, boar, kamoshika (which they are famous for hunting) and bear.
There were two types of Kai Ken: the shika-inu-gata, or deer-type dog, with a thinner, longer body and foxy face, and the shishi-inu-gata, or boar-type dog, with a thicker, stockier build and bear-like face. |
Kai Ken before World War II. Image published in Active Training for Japanese Dogs (1934).
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Two great studs were credited as founding these two types. Dairo-Go was credited as founding the shika-inu-gata, and Kaikuro-Go was credited as founding the shishi-inu-gata.
It is said that the original boar-type Kai went extinct prior to the breed achieving status as a Natural Monument and that the modern day boar-type may be a recreation of this original boar type.
In 1924, Mr. Jokichi Kobayashi, a veterinarian (and director of Kofu Zoo) in Kofu City, was making a house call in Miyamoto Village to provide medical care to an injured hunting dog with black brindle markings. It was there he was introduced to the Kai Ken. However, by 1930, when Mr. Kobayashi published the breed in a magazine, 'Hunting Kai Dogs', breed fanciers would come to Miyamoto Village to find the boar-type Kai were almost extinct. The breed was named 'Kai Nihon Ken' in 1930.
Mr. Tasuke Adachi, who was a public prosecutor, was appointed to work in Yamanashi in 1929. Mr. Adachi, who was a dog lover, first saw a brindle coated dog on his way to work in early Spring of 1931, and was taken with them. In August 1931, he began researching and investigating the dogs, and began to work with the citizens of Ashiyasu Village to preserve the breed.
Later in 1931, Mr. Adachi, with Mr. Kobayashi, went on to found the Kai Ken Aigokai as its first chairman. Mr. Adachi was transferred to Chiba just two months after taking office, and the second chairman, Mr. Shinzo Imai took over.
The breed was designated a Natural Monument of Japan by the government in 1933, and shortly after this, the deer-type Kai Ken was discovered. It was also in 1933 that the breed's name was changed to 'Kai Ken'.
The first Kai Ken Aigokai exhibition took place in April 1932 in Kofu City, where 45 dogs attended, and in November 1932, 17 Kai Ken exhibited at the first Nihon Ken exhibition in Tokyo.
During this time, the Kai Ken Aigokai worked closely with the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO), and the breed was regularly shown at their shows.
A split between the KKA and NIPPO happened when the NIPPO breed standards were formed. There was a discrepancy between the KKA standard and the NIPPO standard, which led to the KKA splitting away from NIPPO. As such, there are very few NIPPO Kai today.
It is said that the original boar-type Kai went extinct prior to the breed achieving status as a Natural Monument and that the modern day boar-type may be a recreation of this original boar type.
In 1924, Mr. Jokichi Kobayashi, a veterinarian (and director of Kofu Zoo) in Kofu City, was making a house call in Miyamoto Village to provide medical care to an injured hunting dog with black brindle markings. It was there he was introduced to the Kai Ken. However, by 1930, when Mr. Kobayashi published the breed in a magazine, 'Hunting Kai Dogs', breed fanciers would come to Miyamoto Village to find the boar-type Kai were almost extinct. The breed was named 'Kai Nihon Ken' in 1930.
Mr. Tasuke Adachi, who was a public prosecutor, was appointed to work in Yamanashi in 1929. Mr. Adachi, who was a dog lover, first saw a brindle coated dog on his way to work in early Spring of 1931, and was taken with them. In August 1931, he began researching and investigating the dogs, and began to work with the citizens of Ashiyasu Village to preserve the breed.
Later in 1931, Mr. Adachi, with Mr. Kobayashi, went on to found the Kai Ken Aigokai as its first chairman. Mr. Adachi was transferred to Chiba just two months after taking office, and the second chairman, Mr. Shinzo Imai took over.
The breed was designated a Natural Monument of Japan by the government in 1933, and shortly after this, the deer-type Kai Ken was discovered. It was also in 1933 that the breed's name was changed to 'Kai Ken'.
The first Kai Ken Aigokai exhibition took place in April 1932 in Kofu City, where 45 dogs attended, and in November 1932, 17 Kai Ken exhibited at the first Nihon Ken exhibition in Tokyo.
During this time, the Kai Ken Aigokai worked closely with the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO), and the breed was regularly shown at their shows.
A split between the KKA and NIPPO happened when the NIPPO breed standards were formed. There was a discrepancy between the KKA standard and the NIPPO standard, which led to the KKA splitting away from NIPPO. As such, there are very few NIPPO Kai today.
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Following the Second World War (where the Kai Ken Aigokai’s headquarters were unfortunately destroyed during the firebombing of Kofu), exhibitions and dog registrations resumed after being halted for the war effort. Thankfully, the Kai Ken escaped the war largely unscathed, and the breed’s numbers intact, though breeding had been prohibited during the war effort to preserve resources. Only exhibition winning Kai Ken were permitted to breed during this time.
The breed got its first steps across the ocean into the western dog world in January 1950, when 10 Kai Ken were sent to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, USA for an exchange of goodwill. In 1982 the Kai Ken was accepted on a definitive basis into the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, meaning the breed could be shown and registered internationally. The first record of Kai Ken being imported into Europe is in 2004, when the breed was imported into Hungary from the United States. |
Kai Ken after World War II. Image published in Aiken No Tomo Medium Sized Japanese Dog Extra Edition (1971).
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Kai Ken in the UK
The breed's known UK history only began in 2013, when the first Kai Ken, Gekkoo No Ame No Uzume 'Fujiko' was imported from Finland to the UK.
Following this, three other Kai were imported between then and 2018, leaving the population at 4 dogs.
By 2021, the population was back down to just one dog, after three of the four Kai migrated to live outside of the UK.
Towards the end of 2021, another Kai was imported, and in the first half of 2022, two more were brought over, returning the population to 4 dogs.
As of December 2023, the UK population sits at eight known dogs, with eleven individuals known to have existed in the UK at any given time.
Following this, three other Kai were imported between then and 2018, leaving the population at 4 dogs.
By 2021, the population was back down to just one dog, after three of the four Kai migrated to live outside of the UK.
Towards the end of 2021, another Kai was imported, and in the first half of 2022, two more were brought over, returning the population to 4 dogs.
As of December 2023, the UK population sits at eight known dogs, with eleven individuals known to have existed in the UK at any given time.
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