Nippo (Nihon Ken Hozonkai)

The Nihon Ken Hozonkai (Japanese Dog Preservation Society), commonly known as NIPPO, was founded in 1928 and received permission to incorporate from the Ministry of the Interior in 1937.

As the oldest canine registry in Japan, NIPPO has more than 90 years of history and tradition in preserving Japan’s native dog breeds.

In 1932, the first issue of Nihon Ken magazine was published, the registry was established, and official pedigrees were issued. The first Nihon Ken National Exhibition (now known as the Grand National) was held on the rooftop of Tokyo Ginza Matsuya, with 81 Nihon Ken entered from all over Japan. The famous Akita Ken Hachiko attended as a special guest.

During the Second World War, NIPPO’s activities were interrupted, but the society quickly resumed its work in 1948. By 1949, exhibitions were successfully restarted, and NIPPO continued its important role in preserving the Nihon Ken.

In 2011, NIPPO became the first canine registry in Japan to be certified as a Public Interest Incorporated Association.

The mission of the Nihon Ken Hozonkai is to research all aspects of the Nihon Ken, which are officially designated as Natural Monuments of Japan, maintain pedigree records, support responsible breeding, and promote the preservation and development of these unique breeds.

Through the Nihon Ken, NIPPO aims to contribute to the protection of Japan’s cultural heritage.

When registering our kennel with NIPPO, we needed to create a special name written in Japanese Kanji.

This name had to have a personal meaning for us. We asked the late wife of Mr. Akiro Yano if we could use his name as part of our kennel legacy. She consulted the Yano Shikoku breeders group in Japan, and they kindly agreed.

Mr. Akiro Yano was very proud of our work and achievements with the Shikoku breed. Together, we created the name:

Oushuu Yano Sou (欧州矢野荘)

Meaning: European Yano kennel legacy.

We are very proud to give this name to the Shikoku puppies we breed with NIPPO registration. This is only possible when both parents have an official NIPPO registration, making these puppies part of a very special and exclusive lineage.

Our recent males ITO and RYU are two special Shikoku males registered through this unique NIPPO connection.

We would like to once again thank the YANO group in Japan for appreciating our work and supporting our dedication to the Shikoku breed.

NIPPO registration card shown in the picture