A pair of Akita dogs, a breed which has gained international popularity after one was presented to Russian star figure skater Alina Zagitova, entertained visitors at a sales event in Tokyo for a photo book featuring them.
The visitors bought copies of the book "Akitainu Gon and Tora," which was released earlier this month, and took pictures patting the brother dogs Gonta and Torajiro during the event.
Gonta, aged 3, and Torajiro, 2, came from Yuzawa in Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan. They were named special tourism ambassadors by the city office on Nov. 17 and will serve as the one-day station master at JR Yuzawa Station in December.
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"As I've only seen photos of the dogs, I was surprised today to see they're so fluffy," said Rion, a model who took part in the event.
A group preserving the Akitainu breed presented Zagitova, who won the women's figure skating event at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, with a puppy in May. Zagitova said she came to like Akita dogs after seeing photos during her pre-Olympic training in Japan.
