The following memories are shared by Ms. Sato. Ms. Fumie Sato is a Japanese Spitz enthusiast and breeder of one remarkable litter born in 2007 under the name Sylph Sato. That litter — including Aquamarine Of Sylph Sato (Marine), Sapphire Of Sylph Sato (Daiko), and Lapislazuli Of Sylph Sato (Yamato) — later formed a small but meaningful bridge between Japan and Finland.
I first met the Japanese Spitz in 1956, when I was four years old.
My aunt gave me a gift—a pure white moving stuffed toy with adorable black eyes. My childhood unfolded alongside this dog.
His name was Pesu. It was a popular name in Japan at that time. He was a boy.
He lived outdoors. We built a small house for him in the garden—in those days, this was normal in Japan. Dogs lived outside.
He was affectionate, gentle, and understood people’s hearts well. He learned quickly, picked up little tricks, and delighted us with them. When I cried, he would come close and lick my tears. Wherever I went, he followed.
But like many Japanese Spitz of that era, he barked a great deal.
In the 1950s, the Japanese Spitz was one of the most popular family dogs in Japan—kept outdoors as watchdogs, valued for their alertness. That same vigilance, expressed through frequent barking, eventually turned public opinion against them. By the 1970s, the breed had nearly vanished from everyday Japanese life.
This memory captures a moment before that decline—when a white Spitz in a garden house was simply part of how families lived.
Fumie Sato Memory Series A Life With Japanese Spitz in Japan To be continued…
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