One story claims that the dogs were given to the Japanese royalty in AD 732 as gifts brought by Kim Jangson (金長孫), an envoy from the kingdom of Silla on the Korean peninsula.

[4] The Japanese Chin stand about approximately 25 cm (10 in) in height at the withers for male dogs, with bitches being slightly taller.

Other cat-like traits include their preference for resting on high surfaces, their good sense of balance, and their tendency to hide in unexpected places.

Japanese Chin are defensive animals and thus although they are usually quiet, they will bark to alert the arrival of a visitor or to draw attention to something out of the ordinary.

[7] Common health issues in the Japanese Chin include luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps), cataracts, and early-onset heart murmurs.