Based on ancient documents, it is assumed that in year 732 the ancestors of Japanese chin were donated  to the Japanese rulers by Korea rulers as a gift(the period of the Silla Dynasty, 377-935). It seems that over the next hundred years greater number of dogs were imported to Japan.Acording to historical certificates of this breed ,dogs were later brought by the envoys directly to China (during the Tung Dynasty ,618-910) and North Korea (at the time of the dynasty after H'ai ,698-926) During the reign of the Tokugawa Shogun Tsunayoshi (1680 -- 1709) the breed was raised to the rank of a palace dog in the Edo palace .
Is nowAt present Japanese Chin is widely known as a decorative dog.



The origin of the breed is shrouded in mist of secret,it is sais that Japanese Chin is best preserved  descendant of the Old Chinese Dog, which probably was also ancestor of the breeds such as the Tibetan spaniel, Shith-tzu and Pekingese.

Origin of name " Chin " is also not exacly known,there are several theses of its origin:first one says  that it comes from the country name "China", the other that it comes from the Japanese phrase "chin" which means
" sit down" or " make a lot of tricks " or " give a prize ". The third argument says that the breed was once called the "Makura - Tsin" (Makura - cushion), the literal translation of the name suggested the life and existance" on a soft pillow ".



Japanese  chin as a breed was called very differently-from the the Japanese pug to Japanese Terrier.
In Holland it sometimes determined as the "Emperor's Child" in Scandinavia, "Dog of the Sun".
 
Although the name of Japanese Chin arose in  around Beijing in China, in the first century  these dogs were known as "Lion Dog" and they were highly respected companions of Emperor Ming Ti, who for his dogs abandoned his faith and accepted Buddhism.He belived that the Lion Dogs were affected by the hand of the 
Buddha who tuched the head of Chin with his thumb  what resulted in apearence of a  white spot on the forehead of japanese Chin -  that spot has been called "the imprint of Buddha's thumb." In the imperial palace of the Ming Ti highest honors were done exactly to the  dogs of this  breed.
They had  numerous servants,were bathed and perfumed every day , for a walk they were carried out in luxury  palanquins. They were fed them most selected bits,and they were strocked and carresed all day.
No one was allowed to take the  precious Lion Dog outside the palace, and if  whoever would dare to break that ban, he would be  sentenced to long death preceded by terrible tortures.




With the advent of Buddhist philosophy in Japan, the cult of Lion Dog also spread within the borders of this country.When Japanese Chin have been imported to the islands of the Japanese empire, it became a favorite breed of the Japanes Emperor.
Chin's were often offered as a ceremonial gift to royal families and dignitaries.
  Because of their beauty, intelligence and sensitivity Chin's have been faithful companions of governing klas.
They greatly rewarded and very guarded.
  At the end of 16th century Dutch merchant named Kaempfer was permitted for a short stay in Japan,
where he first encountered with this breed.
He later wrote about  great passion of the japanese people for the Imperial Japanese Chins, indicating that the  killing of Chin was treated equally as killing a human, and was punished in he same way.
zaznaczjąc that China was tantamount to killing the man and the murder was punished in the same way.
He also wrote that the Japanese ladies were carrying their Chin's in  baskets littered with silk.

  In the  1613, British Captain Searles brought Japanese Chin to England.
. Several centuries later in 1853 Commodore Perry brought from Japan a few specimens of this breed and two of them gave as a gift to Queen Victoria, who helped spread this breed, and soon it became very popular in the Great Britain.
From 1868 Japanese Chin became a ladies of the upper classes dog.

Queen Alexandra often posed for portraits and photos with her pets, holding them in her arms.

HM Królowa Aleksandra (1844-1925) HM Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

 

There is a theory that Commodore Perry gave the president of U.S a few Chins,and this is how they firs got to America.These gifts led to such big popularity of the breed that the Japanese Chin has become a very desired dog, puppies were bought without the slightest thought and many of them were simply stolen from Japan.
In the years between 1900 and the First World War, Japanese Chin has been extremely popular breed untill the postwar period when interest of them decreased.
Breed has survived only because of dedication to the people who hid their dogs, thereby risking the loss of freedom because hiding a Japanese Chin was  threatened  with prison.
  In 1964 the breed was honored as the one of National symbols of Japan.

 
  Postcards depicting the Japanese Chin  in the first half of the twentieth century.

 Postcards come mainly from England, most of them shows actress and singer holding a Chin.

Angielskie aktorki English actress

Dame Marie Tempest (1864-1942)	Julia Neilson  (1868-1957)	Ellaline Terriss  (1872-1971)

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