When most people think of Akita dogs, they picture short-haired, red-fawn ones. But Ryuko Sato, an office worker living in Shinyachi, Daisen City, is captivated by long-haired brindle Akita dogs. On weekends, she takes her two dogs, Towa (six-year-old female) and Koryu (one-year-old male), to their favorite walking spot, the Akita Prefectural Agricultural Science Museum in Otomo, Daisen City, Akita.
Though both Akita dogs are brindle, their coats look entirely different. Towa has a higher proportion of white fur, giving her a soft, pale gray appearance. Koryu, by contrast, has a deep, calm black tone. Towa is playful and outgoing. Koryu, possibly because Ms. Sato lives with only her mother, has not yet grown accustomed to men and ends up backing away.
“Towa’s coat is silky smooth, while Koryu’s neck fur is fluffy like a puppy’s, but his back is firmer and sleek when you stroke it. They’re both brindle, yet so different,” Ms. Sato said.
The Agricultural Science Museum launched a dog patrol team in June 2024 after bears were damaging apples in the orchard on the property in 2023. The goal is for dogs to walk the grounds with their owners, leaving human and canine scent to deter bears from approaching. Today, 15 dogs, mostly Akita dogs, including Towa and Koryu, belong to the patrol team. While bear sightings have increased in urban areas across the prefecture, no bears have been spotted on the museum grounds since the patrol team began.
Beyond bear prevention, the patrol dogs also play an essential role in engaging with visitors. When tour groups or children visit, museum staff request that patrol team owners bring their dogs out. With their rare appearance and irresistibly soft coats, Towa and Koryu quickly become crowd favorites. Visitors often ask, “Are they really Akita dogs?” Because there are few places where people are allowed to touch Akita dogs, the museum has become a precious space where, under the supervision of their owners, visitors can safely pet and interact with the dogs.
Ms. Sato’s history with Akita dogs began in childhood, when her family owned a white-coated Akita dog. Later, as a young adult, her father brought home a short-haired brindle female Akita dog. That dog later gave birth to short-haired brindle puppies, and Ms. Sato raised one of them. Brindle Akita dogs became a familiar and beloved presence in her life.
After those dogs passed away, nearly ten years went by without an Akita dog in her home. Then, in 2014, she welcomed a male puppy from a breeder in Daisen City. His registered pedigree name was Hideryu. Noticing that the kanji for “dragon” (龍) matched her own name, Ryuko, she felt it was fate and named him Ryu. At first, she thought he was simply a fluffy short-haired dog, but as he grew, she realized he was actually long-haired.
In 2019, she welcomed Towa, naming her with the wish that she would “love Ryu forever.” At the time, she hadn’t intentionally sought long-haired Akita dogs, it just happened naturally.
Then, in March 2023, Ryu passed away at age eight due to lymphoma. Until then, Towa had always walked energetically at the front of the leash, but after Ryu’s death, she lost her spark and began walking quietly behind Ms. Sato. Wanting to bring new energy into their lives, Ms. Sato decided, for the first time, to specifically search for a long-haired brindle Akita dog. In December 2024, she found Koryu through a breeder in Ibaraki Prefecture.
She chose his name with a heartfelt wish—that he would live a long life for himself and for Ryu, and shine brightly throughout his life.
Through Instagram, Ms. Sato has met many Akita dog owners, traveling across and beyond the prefecture with Towa and Koryu to connect with fellow enthusiasts. When Ryu was alive, she rarely traveled far. Now, she admited, “I regret not taking Ryu to more places. So I’ve become much more active with Towa and Koryu.”
“These dogs have introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise. Akita dogs are the reason I can keep moving forward in life and work,” she said, gently stroking their rich, flowing coats.
