Kamar yadda aka zata, sunan abokin mai kafa hudu ya fito ne daga kasar Japan. Chin shine ɗan gajeren sigar Jafananci na "chiinuu inu" kuma yana nufin "karamin kare".
Wasu Chin na Japan suna da facin zagaye a goshinsu. Wani labari ya ce Buddha ya bar sawun yatsa kamar haka lokacin da ya albarkaci kananan abokai masu kafafu hudu.
Ba Buddha kaɗai ba, har ma da al'ummar Japan masu kyau a tsakiyar zamanai da daulolin Sinawa sun kiyaye ƙananan abokai masu ƙafa huɗu. Don haka Chin Jafananci sun kasance dabbobi masu daraja da kima.
Bisa ga tsoffin bayanan, an yi imanin cewa tarihin Chin na Japan ya fara ne tun daga shekara ta 732. Saboda haka, an kawo kakannin chin zuwa kotun Japan a matsayin kyauta daga sarkin Koriya. A cikin shekaru 100 da suka biyo baya, waɗannan karnuka da yawa sun zo Japan.
A cikin 1613, kyaftin na Ingila ya kawo nau'in kare zuwa Ingila. Ba wai kawai an gabatar da nau'in kare a Turai ba har ma a Amurka a cikin 1853. Daga 1868 zuwa gaba Chin Jafananci shine mafi kyawun karen cinya na manyan al'umma. A yau an dauke shi a matsayin kare gida mai yaduwa.