If you're interested in the ancient history of Japanese and Asian dogs in general, read 'Heaven Can Wait,' a book dedicated to Prince Yudishthira, who refused to enter #Heaven without his #dog...

We even know their names: Ayuki (720 CE), the first recorded dog name in Japan, and Manashiro, beloved companion of Emperor Ōjin. These were the Kari Inu, hunters with deep genetic ties to ancient Jōmon dogs.