Shiba Inu (Best in Show by Safari Ltd.)

Before I start this review I would like to thank our friends at Happy Hen Toys for providing this review sample for the Blog! I have been waffling back and forth on whether or not to get this particular figure, so when an opportunity came up to review it, I was most grateful! Now that I have it, I am glad I did!

The Shibu Ina is descended from an ancient breed and is one of six breeds native to Japan. The original Shiba goes back to at least the Jōmon period (14,000-300 BC). It was originally bred for hunting and flushing out small game (the Japanese name translates to ‘brushwood dog’, referring to its use for flushing game). During the Meiji Restoration period in the mid-1800’s, western dog breeds were introduced to Japan and crossed with the Shiba. By 1926 almost no pure Shiba remained and the breed almost became extinct during World War II. After the war, there were only three remaining bloodlines, the Shinshu Shiba, Mino Shiba, and San’in Shiba. Eventually, these three strains were combined into one overall breed, the modern Shiba Inu. Today The Shiba Inu remains popular in Japan as a hunting dog and companion animal, but it still hasn’t gained much popularity outside of Japan. The breed was brought to the United States in 1954 and was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992. It is also bred and shown in the United Kingdom. It’s become a popular internet meme in recent years and readers might be familiar with the cryptocurrency Dogecoin that uses a Shiba Inu as its logo.

The Shiba Inu is fairly popular with Japanese manufacturers. It has been made a handful of times by Kaiyodo and most notably by Kitan Club, whose 2013 model in the Nature of Japan series is often considered by collectors to be the best rendition of the breed. It has also been made by Eikoh and some lesser-known Japanese companies, such as Tarlin and Yell. When preparing this post, I was surprised it was also made by Mojö Fun (in both red and black) and Schleich (adult and puppy). Since I have only recently shown interest in dog breeds, I wasn’t aware of any figures by Western companies prior to today’s 2022 version by Safari Ltd. In 2023, Toymany made puppies in both red and black-and-tan.

Today’s figure by Safari stands about 4.5 cm at the shoulders, which would put it in a scale of 1:8.2-1:9.3 for a male or 1:7.6-1:8.8 for a female (the figure is not sexed). It is sculpted looking tall and alert, with a compact, well-muscled body, as the actual breed should have. It’s head is cocked slightly to the left and it has the characteristic curled tail, in this case curling to the left. Fine texturing highlights wrinkles and the fine coat that covers the animal’s body. Overall, this is a very well-executed sculpt of a Shiba Inu. Because of the angle of the head, it was hard to truly appreciate the figure from promotional pics, but in hand it looks very well done!

The Shiba Inu can come in multiple colors. The traditional is red, but they can also be black, sesame, and black-and-tan. Cream and white are considered undesirable in Japan and the United States, but acceptable in the UK. Regardless of the color, all dogs should demonstrate urajiro, a cream to white color on the sides of the muzzle, the cheeks, inside the ears, and the ventral parts of the jaw, neck, chest, abdomen, and the inside of the legs. Today’s figure by Safari is a traditional red-urajiro. The eyes, nose, and lining of the mouth are black; the footpads are not painted.

Overall, this is a very nice representation of the Shiba Inu, and by far the best option produced outside of Japan. So, if someone was interested in acquiring this breed, and doesn’t want to track down or invest in figures from Japan, this is the one to get! Available at Happy Hen Toys in the United States or wherever Safari figures are sold.