A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHIKOKU KEN
As with its sibling-breed, the Kishu Ken, the Shikoku Ken is a relatively young breed with deep, old roots. First recognized in 1937 as a Natural Cultural Monument, it was one of the last Japanese breeds which have survived to modern times to earn this distinction. The Shikoku was developed as a large game hound, similar to the Kishu Ken, but has been used more commonly on both deer and boar.
The breed lost this primary use sometime after the reconstruction effort which saw the dissolution and combination of its three distinct lines and mostly became kept as a pet and show dog. As fewer and fewer proven hunting Shikoku Ken were born, it lost favor as a hunting dog to the Kishu Ken. There has been some modern interest in restoring Shikoku Ken as hunting dogs with varied success (and failure.)
The breed traditionally came in sesame, black (tan point), red, and white - with or without pinto markings - but pinto markings and white coats eventually became faulted in the show ring where the Shikoku came to shine. Very few white Shikoku exist today and pinto markings may be functionally removed from the genepool (though some dogs are still born with excess white markings.)
The Shikoku Ken remains one of the consistently rarest of the Japanese breeds within Japan with only 200-300 registrations annually. The breed has experienced a boom in popularity in Europe and North America where it is popularly sought after for the breed's striking appearance.
The breed lost this primary use sometime after the reconstruction effort which saw the dissolution and combination of its three distinct lines and mostly became kept as a pet and show dog. As fewer and fewer proven hunting Shikoku Ken were born, it lost favor as a hunting dog to the Kishu Ken. There has been some modern interest in restoring Shikoku Ken as hunting dogs with varied success (and failure.)
The breed traditionally came in sesame, black (tan point), red, and white - with or without pinto markings - but pinto markings and white coats eventually became faulted in the show ring where the Shikoku came to shine. Very few white Shikoku exist today and pinto markings may be functionally removed from the genepool (though some dogs are still born with excess white markings.)
The Shikoku Ken remains one of the consistently rarest of the Japanese breeds within Japan with only 200-300 registrations annually. The breed has experienced a boom in popularity in Europe and North America where it is popularly sought after for the breed's striking appearance.
More Reading
Kishu history is recorded in spoken lore, in books, and on pedigrees made available to the public through various publications.
- The Shikoku Ken Dog Breed Series by Aiken no Tomo (Japanese) offers a comprehensive look into the breed with a handful of founder photos and pedigrees, as well as a total overview of Shikoku Ken care and traits.
- The Nihon Ken Blog by Shigeru Kato (English)