Akita

American  

[uh-kee-tuh] / əˈki tə /

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.

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akita British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of Akita

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

Example Sentences

With a record 13 people killed this year in Japan, the professor of emergency and critical medicine at Akita University Hospital advises what to do in an encounter.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

Another comment that resonated came from Donald’s older sister, Akita.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2024

“We cannot build social infrastructure for the future of Japan without fair competition,” said Norihisa Satake, governor of Akita, where Japan’s first full commercial operation of wind power generation began in December.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

Run by local restaurant Soba Goro, the machine in Semboku in northern Akita prefecture reportedly sells 10-15 packs a week of meat from bears killed in nearby mountains by local hunters.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2023

Yamagata signifies "shape of a mountain" and Akita means "autumn rice field."

From The Foundations of Japan Notes Made During Journeys Of 6,000 Miles In The Rural Districts As A Basis For A Sounder Knowledge Of The Japanese People by Scott, J.W. Robertson

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