Largest of the Spitz type of dog.

Largest Japanese breed.

Known as a Japanese treasure.

* Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the most primitive breeds of dog.[2]
* Perhaps the most famous Akita is Hachiko, a dog remembered in Japan for his loyalty. When his owner died, Hachiko returned to the train station every day for the rest of his life to wait for him. A life-size statue of Hachiko still stands at Shibuya Station.
* Many manga titles by Takahashi Yoshihiro feature Akita dogs as the main character. These include Gin of Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin and Weed of Ginga Densetsu Weed. This is said to be because Takahashi Yoshihiro was born in Akita Prefecture.
* The title character in the anime and manga animated series InuYasha, along with his brother and father, are said to be Akita yōkai. A yōkai is a mythical Japanese creature that is said to take human form. InuYasha himself is technically a hanyō, a mythical half-human, half-yōkai.
* Lead singer of Disturbed, David Draiman, lives alone with his dog Lisa, a Japanese Akita.
* In the rock opera RENT, Angel gets paid $1,000 to get rid of a wealthy woman's neighbor's Akita named Evita. Later on, it becomes clear that Evita's owner was Benny, the despised landlord of the group of friends.
* An Akita named Kato was a key part of the OJ Simpson trial. The dog was owned by murder victim Nicole Brown Simpson and left bloody pawprints at the scene of the crime.