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Tosa Inu; large Japanese dog breed originally bred for fighting
A large, powerfully built dog breed developed in the former Tosa Province (present-day Kochi Prefecture) by crossing native Japanese dogs with Western breeds such as mastiffs and bulldogs, originally for dog fighting.
土佐犬 (also called 土佐闘犬) takes its name from 土佐, the old name for present-day 高知県 on Shikoku, where the breed was developed in the late 19th century.
Cultural note
Unlike native Japanese breeds such as 柴犬 and 秋田犬, the Tosa Inu was deliberately crossbred with Western fighting and guard breeds, producing an animal far larger than typical Japanese dogs. Organized dog fighting (闘犬) using Tosa Inu is still practiced in a legal, regulated form in Kochi, where it is treated as a traditional local sport rather than blood sport for gambling.
Due to its size and strength, the breed is restricted or banned in several countries.