The Hokkaido Ken is said to have originated from the medium-sized Japanese dogs which accompanied the migrations of the native Tohoku Ainu people from Honshu (the main island of Japan) to Hokkaido during the Kamakura Era. It is thought that the Hokkaido may carry more of the genes from the older type dogs - which arrived in Japan with the Jomon - due to their geographical isolation on the island of Hokkaido.
The breed was designated a "Living Natural Monument" in 1937 by the Japanese government and was given the name of the area from which it originated as is tradition with Japanese breeds, however it is also commonly known as the Ainu Ken after the indigenous people of Hokkaido, the Ainu, who historically bred these dogs to hunt bear, boar and other animals. While hunting with Hokkaido Ken is uncommon today, there are still a few Hokkaido Ken who are used for hunting and to guard homes, specifically since the recent rise in the number of bears habituating populated areas.
The breed originally consisted of several main 'bloodlines', each named after the Ainu village from which it originated, the most famous of these being the Chitose, Biratori, Atsuma and Yuwamizawa lines. Today only the Chitose line remains, with the rest of the breed being an amalgamation of all the original lines.
The climate of Hokkaido, with its short summers and long, cold winters has given the Hokkaido Ken a coat which is far denser in appearance than the other native Japanese breeds and has resulted in a hardy dog with great stamina and endurance. The breed is still very rare outside of its native country, and within Japan the numbers are still relatively small, although there was a small rise in popularity in past years due to a series of commercials featuring a white Hokkaido Ken called 'Otousan'. Sadly Otousan passed away in June of 2018, Kai-Kun as his family knew him was reported to be 16 years old when he passed.
Over the last 20 years the medium sized Nihon Ken breeds (Hokkaido, Kai, Kishu & Shikoku) have suffered a huge decline in the number of puppies being registered with their respective breed clubs - in part due to smaller toy breeds being favoured for the apartment living of those in population-heavy areas, and in part due to those who do still breed Nihon Ken reaching old age and having no younger proteges willing to take up their mantle - as such the medium breeds are reaching a point of crisis (click here to see Shigeru Kato's graph of yearly registrations posted March 2020).
In the last 5 years, the number of Hokkaido Ken puppies registered with the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai (HKH) have decreased rapidly, with registrations in 2025 of just 121 dogs. With registrations elsewhere in the world likely to be less than 50 individuals per year, the Hokkaido Ken is rapidly reaching a point where a stable population can no longer be maintained. Below are the birth and colour statistics for puppies registered with the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai between 2021 and 2025, which further indicates the declining population. When comparing the most recent figure from the HKH of 121 individuals, with the figure from 1971's peak registration of 7061 individuals, the birth rate has declined to less than 2% of what it was.
The Hokkaido Ken is not currently recognised by the UK Kennel Club, however it has been recognised by the FCI as a definitive breed since 1964 and can be shown under the 'Asian Spitz and related breeds' section.
Historical facts taken from Shigeru Kato of Nihon Ken Blogspot, used with permission. Please see links page for more information. HKH registrations kindly provided to the British Association of Hokkaido Ken (BAHK) by Okiyama-san and the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai.
