Helen Keller was the first American to own Akita dogs

Akita dogs are very common among Americans today, yet they were unknown until the late 1930s. The fact that Helen Keller was the first proud owner of this robust Japanese breed in the US is an intriguing detail about her. The Japanese government gave the author, who had a great love of animals, a pair of Akita dogs in 1938. However, many more of them were introduced to the nation in the 1940s by soldiers who had just returned from fighting in Japan.

At the time of her visit to Japan the Akita was virtually unknown in America. When Keller first met one of these dogs she was impressed by it, and mentioned the fact that she might like to have one of these "faithful dogs" for herself. The Japanese government took this request to heart. They contacted Ichiro Ogasawara, a young Akita City Police Department officer, who was an owner and breeder of these big dogs. Ogasawara was asked to supply Keller with an Akita and he gave her one of his own new puppies. He was named Kamikaze-Go.