The , commonly abbreviated to Nippo, is a preserver and maintainer of the registries for the six native Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 breeds: the Akita Inu, Kai Ken

Kai Ken

The is a breed of dog that hails from Japan where it is a natural monument and has been bred for centuries. It is an extremely rare dog even in its native land and is related to the Japanese Spitz dog type.-Appearance:...

, Shikoku

Shikoku (dog)

The is a native, primitive Japanese breed of dog from Shikoku island that is similar to a Shiba Inu. The Shikoku is not a recognized breed of the American Kennel Club, but it is recognized by the Japanese Kennel Club, an organization recognized by AKC as an official foreign registry...

, Kishu

Kishu

The , sometimes called Kishu Ken or Kishu Inu, is a Japanese breed of dog, developed there for thousands of years. It is descended from ancient medium-sized breeds and named after the Kishu region, now Wakayama Prefecture. This breed is similar to the Akita Inu and the Shiba Inu but predates both...

, Hokkaido

Hokkaido (dog)

The is a breed of dog. Other names for the breed include Ainu-ken and Seta. In Japan, its name is sometimes shortened to Dō-ken. The Hokkaido is native to the prefecture of the same name in Japan.-Appearance:...

, and Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu

The is the smallest of the six original and distinct breeds of dog from Japan.A small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It is similar in appearance to the Akita, though much smaller in stature...

. Nippo also issues the Nippo Standard, which serves as a breed standard for the six native breeds.

History

Nippo was founded in 1928 by Dr. Hiroyo Saito, who served as the group's first president, and formally named in 1932. With the support of Nippo, the Akita Inu was designated as a national monument in 1931, and the Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu

The is the smallest of the six original and distinct breeds of dog from Japan.A small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It is similar in appearance to the Akita, though much smaller in stature...

in 1936. Nippo was formally recognized by the Japanese government in 1937. Nippo's first national show was held in Tokyo on November 6, 1932.

The group celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1988, and in 1992 had roughly 16,000 members with annual registrations of 60,000 dogs. Nippo currently holds one national show in the fall, and regional shows each fall and spring.