# Japanese and american akita As far as I understand most countries in the world have divided akita into two different breeds but in USA and maybe some more countries they are still counted as one. Is there any plan of divide the breed in the US? ## Thread In Akita Inu · started by Migoo · 6 replies - **Category:** [Akita Inu](https://nihonken.org/community/c/akita-inu) - **Forum:** [Nihon Ken Forum](https://nihonken.org/community/) ## Migoo · 2009-05-26T15:05:31.000Z As far as I understand most countries in the world have divided akita into two different breeds but in USA and maybe some more countries they are still counted as one. Is there any plan of divide the breed in the US? ## JiroGo · 2009-05-26T15:18:33.000Z There is a Japanese Akita club in America and one or two breeders who are pushing for the breeds to be divided. ## brada1878 (admin) · 2009-05-26T15:40:17.000Z Recently there was a vote about it here, I think. Tho I dunno what the outcome was. It's a very touchy issue here. At one point there was a split in the US, but then they merged the 2. It's a constant battle between the 2 sides. ---- ## JiroGo · 2009-05-26T16:22:20.000Z I personally think if the American breeders got their hands on the Japanese Akita the split would have to happen, I don't know of anybody who has met both the American and Japanese and still thought they were one breed, they are so different! ## Migoo · 2009-05-26T16:35:42.000Z Yes I have understood that it's a touchy issue over there. I have added a few comment to a couple of youtube videos and the reactions from other peoples were sometimes very rude, so to speak. Do you guys know why the breed isn't divided? I've heard that if you goes to japan with an american akita they don't even call it an american akita, they say "great japanese dog". Strange that it's so hard to get along with it. But on the other hand, we are from different parts of the world with different points of view... ;) ## brada1878 (admin) · 2009-05-26T17:16:45.000Z Well, the new name for the American Akita is the "American Akita", it used to be the "Great Japanese Dog". The FCI changed that a year or so ago, I think. Honestly, they are the same breed at their core genetics. It's just two VERY different types, and that is why it's split - but if you trace back to the birth of the Akita they looked much more like AAs than JAs. It was not until Morie Sawataishi that the Akita Inu type really started to emerge. So, we have a breed that evolved into 2 distinct types (even in Japan), and in most of the world they felt it was right to separate them into 2 breeds with their own set of standards, while in the USA the breed club felt it was more beneficial to the over all health of the breed to merge them and slowly shape the types to be one. If you look at the Akita in America today, and where it was before, you will see the head types of the Akita are moving toward the Japanese type (look). So, it seems things are actually moving away from the Shepard look of the American Akita and more toward the Japanese look just with a huge variation in color. Akita in America today very closely resemble the Akita from Japan in the Edo period (and before). Watching this merge is a lot like seeing history repeat, and watching the transformation of the Akita into the Akita Inu in Japan. It's kinda interesting. Anyway, I am not really for or against the split/merge. I prefer the look and temperament of the import type (the Akita Inu) but you will never see me argue one side or another - I don't want to be caught under any of those cross-hairs. I just wanted to give some of the background. ---- ## Migoo · 2009-05-26T19:03:21.000Z Thanks "brada", it was interesting reading! It's nice to read about how an american thinks about it. --- **Navigate:** [Forum home](https://nihonken.org/community/?format=md) · [Sitemap](https://nihonken.org/community/sitemap.xml)