The Shikoku Compendium

The Shikoku Compendium is an educational book consisting of 84 pages about the Shikoku Ken, one of the six native dog breeds of Japan. The main goal of the compendium is to make more information available to breeders, judges, and breed enthusiasts outside of Japan, with special consideration to honor and respect the decades of experience and knowledge from the original breed club, Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO), and its work to preserve the Japanese breeds, collectively known as Nihon Ken.

This compendium aims to educate readers not only about the breed standard and correct breed type but also to provide a deep understanding of the long history and cultural value of the Nihon Ken. It highlights the extensive efforts dedicated to preserving these breeds, making the information valuable not only for Shikoku enthusiasts but also for anyone interested in any of the native Japanese breeds (Shiba, Akita, Shikoku, Kishu, Kai, Hokkaido), their origins, and the preservation work carried out by NIPPO.

The compendium is beautifully illustrated by Riina Haapakallio with input from breed experts and judges in Japan. It also includes a variety of photos, the vast majority of them of Japanese-bred dogs living in Japan to keep it as neutral and close to the authentic breed type as possible.

More information

The main section of the compendium is an illustrated standard based on the official FCI standard. It goes through the standard section by section, including the equivalents of the NIPPO standard and a commentary written by The Norwegian Nihon Ken Club, based on official NIPPO documents and materials.

In addition to the breed standard, the compendium covers the history of the Nihon Ken, their essential qualities (kan-i, ryōsei, and soboku), the history of NIPPO, and the Nihon Ken's deep cultural roots, including a section about their close relationship with the Japanese Wolf and recent scientific discoveries about their kinship.

Disclaimer

The Nihon Ken Shop is proud to partner with The Norwegian Nihon Ken Club (Japansk Urhundklubb i Norge) to offer the compendium and related materials, making international orders simpler and more convenient. We act solely as a sales platform for the club and do not earn any profit from these items. All proceeds, after covering production and shipping costs, are directed to The Norwegian Nihon Ken Club, a non-profit organization that manages five of the six Nihon Ken breeds in Norway as the official breed club under the Norwegian Kennel Club.

Note! Members of the Norwegian Nihon Ken Club can use their discount code to get a discount. More info can be found in the “details” tab or the club's website.