Akita

[uh-kee-tuh]

noun

1. a seaport on northern Honshu, Japan, on the Sea of Japan.

2. Sometimes akita one of a Japanese breed of large, muscular dogs having a broad head with erect ears, a stiff coat of brown, red, black, or brindle color, and a long tail curled over its back: originally bred for hunting, now often used as a guard dog.

akita

/ əˈkiːtə /

noun

1. a large powerfully-built dog of a Japanese breed with erect ears, a typically white coat, and a large full tail carried curled over its back

Word History and Origins

Origin of akita¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from Japanese surname Akita “autumn ricefield”

Word History and Origins

Origin of akita¹

C20: named after a district in N Japan

Example Sentences

"It's becoming something that feels personal, and it's simply frightening," he added in the northern prefecture of Akita, an area hit by a series of attacks.

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Keiji Minatoya, also from Akita, knows this too well -- a bear leapt from his garage, pinned him to the ground and sank its teeth into his face in 2023.

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The victims include a 67-year-old man in Iwate, a region next to Akita, whose body was found outside his home, with animal bite marks and scars.

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Hajime Nakae, professor of emergency and critical medicine at the Akita University Hospital, said the frequent bear sightings made him feel like he was "living inside... a safari park for bears".

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Akita has alone culled over 1,000 so far.

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Related Words

• beagle