In the beginning, the history of the Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita) is identical with the development of the Japanese Akita.  Since 1603, in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium sized hunting dogs) were used as fighting dogs.  From 1868, the breed was crossbred with Tosa (a mixture of Shikoku with German Pointing Dogs, St Bernard Dogs, or Great Danes) and Mastiffs.  The size of this breed increased, but characteristics such as erect ears or curled tail, which are associated with the Akita (Spitz type) were lost.  As in 1908 dog fighting was prohibited, the breed were nevertheless preserved as a large Japanese breed and in 1931 was designated as a Natural Monument.  During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a source of fur for military garments.  The police ordered the capture and confiscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd Dogs.  When World War II ended, Akitas had been drastically reduced in number and existed as three distinct types: 1) Matagi Akitas 2) Fighting Akitas 3) Shepherd Akitas.  This created a very confusing situation in the breed.

During the restoration process of the pure breed, after the war, Kongo-go of the Dewa line enjoyed a temporary, but tremendous popularity.  Many Akitas of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of the Mastiff and German Shepherd influence, were brought back to the United States by members of the Military Forces.  The Akitas from the Dewa line, intelligent and capable of adapting to different environments, fascinated breeders in the United States and the line was developed with increasing number of breeders and a great rise in popularity.

The Akita Club of America was established in 1956 and the American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the breed (inscription into the stud book and regular show status)  in October 1972.  However, at this time, the AKC and the JKC (Japan Kennel Club) did not have reciprocal agreements for recognizing each other's pedigrees and therefore the door was closed for the introduction of the new bloodlines from Japan.  Consequently, Akitas in the United States became considerably different from those in Japan, the country of origin.  They developed as a type unique in the United States, with characteristics and type unchanged since 1955.  This is in sharp contrast with the Japanese type that was crossbred with Matagi Akitas for the purpose of restoring the original pure breed.

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