The Akita Inu (inu is Japanese for dog) is a large breed of dog native from the mountainous northern regions of the Honshu island in Japan, particularly in the Akita prefecture. It was considered as the national dog of Japan and officially declared as a National Monument in 1931. The breed has been widely known because of the most popular Akita Inu, the loyal Hachiko who has his own monument in Tokyo.