Japan Akita dog society issues digital pedigrees to combat forgery

A Japan-based society for Akita dogs has begun issuing digital pedigree certificates for the highly popular breed in an effort to combat forgery and people losing their paper-form documents.

The Akita Inu Preservation Society based in Odate, Akita Prefecture, is employing highly secure blockchain technology to issue pedigree certificates, which until now had only been issued in paper form and had suffered logistical problems, including documents getting lost in transit when being shipped to overseas recipients.

According to the society for the northeastern Japanese dog breed, overseas membership increased from about 300 people in 2022 to around 500 in 2023. The society also said it had received a report a few years prior of a forged pedigree document in China.

The blockchain pedigree technology was developed jointly by IT firm Meta Akita Inc, based in the prefecture, and U.S. company Heirloom Inc.

Blockchain technology is known for its security and is often used for cryptocurrency transactions. The issuing of digital certificates via blockchain also drastically reduces the time it takes for dog owners to receive them as opposed to paper documents sent by mail, which can take over two weeks.

Those wishing to obtain a certificate can apply directly from the preservation society's website. The digital certificates are issued via a smartphone app to society members.

"In addition to the convenience of digitalization, we hope that owners will also have peace of mind in knowing that their dog is purebred," society board member Yuki Shoji said.