The Japanese take their culture very seriously, and they have even taken the breeding of native Japanese dogs with a very serious attitude. For this reason, it is imperative to the culture to have Japanese dog names for the canine members of their families. While there are not a lot of well known breeds that originated in Japan (the most famous probably being the Akita), there are many lesser known breeds that earn the right to Japanese heritage.
As with many Asian languages, Japanese dog names are literally symbols within the Japanese language that denote a word of a certain meaning. The symbols, or characters, are not like letters in English but instead express an entire word or phrase. Therefore, when you choose Japanese dog names, you’ll have two ways to express the name: you can choose to learn the character that expresses the name in the native Japanese language, and you can also translate it into English letters that mimic the “sound”, or pronunciation, of the word denoted by the character.
Below are some typical Japanese dog names and their meanings. While the symbols for each are not listed here, you can easily find them in any Japanese dictionary.
| Name | Comment |
| Aki Cho Gin Hana Kei Michiko Mitsu Nariko Ran Rei Suki Tanak Tsuyu Yoshiko | Meanings – born in autumn Meanings – butterfly Meanings – silvery Meanings – flower, blossom Meanings – rapture, reverence Meanings – child of beauty Meanings – shine, reflect Meanings – gentle child Meanings – water lily Meanings – gratitude Meanings – beloved Meanings – dweller Meanings – morning dew Meanings – good child |