Mr. Sei-ichiro Ishimaru

Sei-ichiro Ishimaru JKC/FCI All-Breed International Judge Sei-ichiro Ishimaru was raised in a family that always lived with dogs, and in 1993 he encountered the Italian Greyhound, a breed that would shape much of his life in the sport. In 1994, he and his parents co-founded Flash Shower Italian Greyhounds in Tokyo, Japan.

Over the decades, Flash Shower has developed long-standing and trusted relationships with distinguished breeders in the United States, Australia, and Europe. Through these collaborations, the kennel has continued to preserve and improve the quality, health, temperament, and breed type of the Italian Greyhound.

Flash Shower has produced multiple Best in Show winning Italian Greyhounds, establishing itself as one of Japan’s leading Italian Greyhound kennels. In addition, a dog owned by Flash Shower won Best of Breed at the 1998 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an important achievement in the kennel’s history. Beginning in his university years, Sei-ichiro built a successful owner-handler career, winning more than 50 Best in Show awards.

By 2015, dogs associated with Flash Shower had been awarded Number One Italian Greyhound, All Systems, in Japan for nineteen consecutive years. Among the kennel’s notable achievements, FCI JKC CH Flash Shower JP Miss Perfect won over twenty Best in Show titles and ranked fifth among all breeds in the JKC system during her peak years.

Sei-ichiro has also been involved in Borzoi breeding in the United States as a co-breeder under the Fairyland prefix. Through this work, multiple AKC Champions have been produced, including Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show winners. In addition, a Borzoi from this breeding program won Best of Breed at the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Sei-ichiro is licensed to judge all breeds recognized by the Japan Kennel Club (JKC) and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). He has judged in nearly 40 countries across six continents.

His distinguished assignments include the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (2021) and the FCI World Dog Shows (2022 and 2024).

In 2027, he has been invited to judge the Toy Group at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He has also been invited to judge at the FCI World Dog Show in Austria.

Sei-ichiro currently serves as president of the JKC Southern Tokyo Italian Greyhound Club, the only Italian Greyhound specialty club in Asia. He is also a member of the Italian Greyhound Club of America.

Sei-ichiro is a licensed real estate broker and the CEO of his company.

He remains active in the sport as a breeder, exhibitor, and international judge.