Shiba Inu History: Natural Monument Status and Three Name Theories

When the Shiba Inu was designated a national natural monument of Japan, the official description of it was just one sentence. That sentence names three traits that still fit Shiba Inu today. Let's use it as a doorway into the history of the Shiba Inu.

The Shiba Inu is said by one theory to have lived with people since the Jomon period. This article draws on the Agency for Cultural Affairs' databases and explanations from the Japanese Dog Preservation Society to trace its story. We follow the road to its designation, its place among Nihon Ken (native Japanese breeds), the origin of its name and its recovery after the war.

The Shiba Inu became a natural monument on December 16, 1936

The Shiba Inu was designated a national natural monument on December 16, 1936 (Showa 11). In the Agency for Cultural Affairs' database, the location field reads "area not specified." It was designated as a breed, not tied to a particular place.

A small dog kept in the three prefectures of Gifu, Nagano and Toyama and elsewhere; the muzzle is generally short and many have a red coat (editors' translation)

This is the description written at the time of designation. In modern words, it means a small dog kept in Gifu, Nagano, Toyama and other places, with a generally short muzzle and often a red coat. It is written in old literary Japanese, but the picture it paints matches today's Shiba Inu well.

Before the designation, native Japanese breeds were declining

Before the Shiba Inu was designated, native Japanese breeds had been gradually declining. A Mie Prefecture document says that after the Meiji era, people began keeping foreign dogs and native Japanese dogs gradually became fewer. In 1928 (Showa 3), the Japanese Dog Preservation Society was founded to preserve them.

In the 1930s, native Japanese breeds were designated one after another. On a timeline, the Shiba Inu was designated five years after the Akita.

Of the six native Japanese breeds, only the Shiba Inu is small

In the Japanese Dog Standard set by the society, the Shiba Inu is the only one of the six breeds classed as small. The standard was created in 1934 (Showa 9), dividing the breeds into small, medium and large types.

The standard height at the withers (from the ground to the shoulder) for the Shiba Inu is 39.5 cm for males and 36.5 cm for females. Weight is about 9 to 11 kg for males and about 7 to 9 kg for females. This height standard was set in September 1934.

In numbers, too, the Shiba Inu dominates among native Japanese breeds. According to the society (as of October 2026), it makes up about 80 percent of the native Japanese breeds kept in Japan. It is also said to be the oldest of the six breeds.

No one knows for certain where "Shiba" comes from

No one knows for certain where the name "Shiba" came from. The American Kennel Club (AKC) introduces the following three theories.

• The terrain theory: shiba means brushwood, and the dogs hunted in brushwood country
• The coat theory: the coat is the same color as autumn brushwood
• The size theory: an old, now unused meaning of shiba is little

The society explains that the name Shiba Inu was used in the mountainous Chubu region of central Japan. All three theories are tied to the land where the Shiba Inu lived or to how it looks. It can be fun to think about which is right while looking at your own dog's coat color and size.

It was originally a hunting dog that chased birds and small animals

The Shiba Inu was originally kept as a hunting dog to catch birds and small animals. According to the society, it is said to have begun living with people in either the Jomon or the Yayoi period. The AKC also notes that remains of dogs about the size of Shiba Inu have been found at sites where the Jomon people lived.

There were also differences in bloodlines from region to region. The society says there were three main lines, and that there was a time when they developed under regional names such as San'in Shiba, Shinshu Shiba and Mino Shiba.

Shiba Inu numbers fell in the war and recovered afterward

According to the AKC, the Shiba Inu was nearly wiped out in World War II, but it recovered after the war. According to the society, many native Japanese dogs were lost in the war. It adds that most Shiba Inu died in bombing raids during the war or from distemper (a canine infectious disease) after the war. There was also little notable preservation activity by the society from just before the end of the war until about three to four years after it.

According to the AKC, most of the surviving Shiba Inu were the Shinshu type, with only a few Mino and San'in dogs left. In time, a dog named Naka-go came to be called the father of the breed's postwar revival. The suffix -go is used in Japanese dog names.

Going out with a Shiba Inu: check venues' size conditions

If you go out with your Shiba Inu, check each venue's size conditions first.

The Shiba Inu is small under the Japanese Dog Standard, but males weigh about 9 to 11 kg. How venues define small and medium dogs can differ from venue to venue. Check the size conditions in the dog rules section on each venue's Inucomi page, and ask when you book if anything is unclear. How to ask is covered in our column on five questions to ask before booking.

You can find venues that fit among venues that welcome small dogs and venues that welcome medium dogs. If you want to stop by on a walk, venues near a park are another option.

Check how a dog's body works with the quiz Body Basics Quiz: Beginner. Look for venues that suit your dog with the Venue Finder by Dog Type: Beginner.