An Akita is also known by the names Akita Inu or Akita Ken, which is the largest dog breed that comes from Japan. All the dog breeds indigenous to Japan are considered to be of the Spitz family. The dogs all share the same conformations as a typical Akita, which are the boxy heads, bear-like facial features, deeply set almond-shaped eyes and a boxy body with a tightly curled tail.

An Akita stands between 24-28 inches in height and approximately 60-70 cm at the withers, weighing up to 120 pounds. The Akita is a powerful dog breed, having a muscular body, wide chest and deep girth, it is thought to be one of the biggest dog breeds in the entire world, though is not classified as a giant breed like Great Danes, Saint Bernard's or Irish Wolfhounds.

Because all native breeds are classified in much the same way, the dogs are usually classified into sub-groups because of their size. The larger of the two breeds is the Akita Inu. Medium sized dogs are called Kai, Shikoku or Ainu. The smaller sub-group of the family is called the Shiba Inu, which translates to mean "brushwood."

The Kai dog stands a minimum of 22 inches in height at the withers, and weighs around 40-55 pounds. The Shiba Inu is the smallest of all native Japanese dog breeds and stands approximately 14-16