a day ago
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
Past the ticket gates, Spencer Walther emerges from the subway, lugging what looks like a large laundry bag.
'Welcome! Welcome to Tokyo!' I squeal, hopping up and down as he deposits his ticket and squeezes past the barrier. 'Is this...?'
'Yep, meet Kitsune,' Walther says. Inside the black pouch, through a mesh window, I can see a red mameshiba — the toy version of Japan's Shiba dog breed — sitting still and stoic as a garden statue. One brown eye rolls toward me imperiously. 'She's ready to be out of her travel bag now.'
We put Kitsune in a harness and leash and are soon settling down at a nearby Anea Cafe, a popular restaurant chain that welcomes dogs. Here, Kitsune stretches her legs and enjoys a bowl of yam mash.
'I always knew I wanted a dog,' says Walther, 29, as he watches her scarf down her meal. 'I can't speak Japanese, and dogs also can't speak Japanese. I thought we could relate to each other and not speak Japanese together.'
Originally from Wasilla, Alaska, Walther is in his third year of teaching for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in Matsumae, Hokkaido — a climate not too different from the one in which he grew up. In the two-and-a-half years since he adopted her, Kitsune has become a favorite companion of Walther's students, coworkers and fellow JETs. She's also become his best friend.
Owning a 'fur baby' is on the wishlist of many young newcomers to Japan, particularly those who have pets at home and miss them. Unfortunately, due to the stress of acclimating to a new environment, various Japan-specific obstacles to adoption (including language barriers), animal-prohibitive rental housing and the ongoing expenses that a pet entails, few foreign residents are able to follow through with pet ownership.
Yet attaining and properly caring for pets in Japan is possible and, as Walther attests, perhaps not as difficult as people think — so long as a person is well-prepared, responsible and diligent. What follows is a general guide with notes and suggestions for those who are specifically thinking about dog ownership in Japan.
Acquiring an animal
Japan has rescue shelters as well as some animal cafes that help to rehome pets, such as Cafe Lua and Rescue Dog Cafe Tachikawa. Tokyo-based couple Ice Elloso, 37, and Reyna Marquez, 31, who are from the Philippines and the United States, respectively, adopted their 6-year-old Chihuahua, Lume Chichi, from an 'anifare' (animal welfare) pop-up event run by Animal Refuge Kansai. Depending on where you live, however, it can be challenging to find an agency, as there seems to be less enthusiasm surrounding 'adopt, don't shop' in Japan as in other countries.
Reyna Marquez and her partner adopted Lume Chichi from an "anifare" (animal welfare) event run by Animal Refuge Kansai. |
Courtesy of Reyna Marquez
Once a potential pet owner finds an adoption agency, they may encounter a slew of additional obstacles — especially if, like Walther, they are a foreign resident, unmarried and male. Many animal shelters flatly refuse to give animals to individuals who are neither permanent residents nor citizens of Japan, fearing they could leave the country abruptly and abandon their animals.
Even Tokyo resident and Japanese citizen Atsushi Fukumori, 46, who owns a rambunctious corgi named Cai, found it impossible to adopt a rescue dog when he was searching for a pet.
'Some organizations only allow adoption by married couples,' says Fukumori. 'In some cases, the household must include at least one woman ... to be eligible. So for someone like me — a single man — it felt like the barriers were extremely high.'
Whether adopting an animal at a shelter or buying one at a pet store, expect long processing times and mountains of paperwork. However, the biggest barrier to pet ownership may not come down to who you are but where you are. Finding a rental that permits animals can be a challenge, limiting your residential options. On top of that, finding a house or apartment — to rent or buy — that is spacious enough to accommodate your pet needs to be taken into consideration. The larger the breed the more you'll need to think about whether they will be comfortable or not.
Elloso and Marquez kept their dog's needs in mind when apartment-hunting, while Fukumori used his desire for a pet to make good on his dream of buying a house. Out in small-town Hokkaido, Walther was lucky enough to receive a decently large house from his board of education; he was doubly lucky when the organization told him a dog would be no problem.
'Where I move next might be more risky,' he says.
An owner's toolkit
Besides vaccines and spaying or neutering dogs on arrival, owners in Japan should consider a list of both helpful and necessary items for their pet. One item Walther stresses for Shiba owners is a harness. Given their small heads and thick necks, collars slip easily from these breeds.
Walther also makes sure his house is well-stocked with flea and tick shampoo, as ticks are a particular hazard in Hokkaido. He recounts an episode when he took Kitsune for a hike and found her covered in ticks afterward. Even while avoiding tick-infested areas, he is sure to check his dog carefully for parasites several times a week: looking inside her ears, around her eyes and between her toes. Like humans, dogs can get Lyme disease.
Besides travel bags for public transport, Fukumori recommends investing in a car seat harness for keeping dogs safe when traveling by car. He's also a fan of keeping your dog well crate-trained.
'It's much safer and more secure than a dog car seat, in my opinion,' Fukumori says. 'It also becomes incredibly useful during trips or even in emergencies, like natural disasters.'
Atsushi Fukumori recommends crate-training your dog for safer transport in cars and emergency situations. |
Courtesy of Atsushi Fukumori
Less serious but still a point of contention among pet owners in Japan is the idea of pet clothing: It's not unusual to see dachshunds paraded around a park in T-shirts and baseball caps. Marquez and Elloso keep a collection of dresses and tiaras for their Chihuahua daughter, but they point out that shoes are sometimes necessary to protect against hot asphalt or icy snow. Insulated coats can be a blessing for less hardy animals in the colder months.
A final reminder, especially for those living in a Japanese city: Bring a bottle of water on walks to wash away urine as a common courtesy. Elloso also champions flushable poop bags, which can be disposed of in any toilet.
Traveling with a copilot
One privilege dog lovers enjoy more than cat lovers is the prospect of bringing your pet with you on your domestic travels. This has certainly been one of the greatest joys for Walther and Fukumori, who both drive. 'She's great in the car and loves going around,' Walther says.
Walther and Kitsune have driven all over Hokkaido, hopped on ferries for road trips across Tohoku and explored the mountains west of Tokyo and Gunma. Two years ago, they summited Mount Fuji together ('She was a little grumpy from the cold') and, more recently, Walther and his father went cycling on the Shimanami Kaido with Kitsune ensconced, princess-like, in a little dog trailer.
'When I'm not driving, the shinkansen is my best friend; they allow dogs (up to 10 kilograms),' Walther says. 'I buy the ¥200 dog pass, but no one's ever asked to see it. Public transport, like Tokyo subways, trains and buses, are very dog-friendly if your dog is small enough and has a travel bag.'
Spencer Walther has traveled all over Japan — by car, train and ferry — with Kitsune in tow. |
Courtesy of Spencer Walther
Though Walther and the others have dogs small enough for easy travel (Fukumori's hefty corgi pushes the upper limits), they all bemoaned the punishing task of finding dog-friendly hotels and Airbnbs. Visiting restrooms, convenience stores and restaurants with a dog leash or travel bag in hand, they agree, can also be difficult — though Elloso and Marquez have the added advantage of being able to pass Lume Chichi off to the other whenever one wants to visit the shops or facilities.
Despite the costs and inconveniences, it goes without saying all four interviewees treasure their dogs more than anything.
'I used to worry that having a pet might limit my ability to travel, that it would make my world smaller, but it's the total opposite,' Fukumori says. 'I got my driver's license because of Cai. He's taken me to places I never would have gone on my own.'
Walther says he has met and befriended many new people who fawn over Kitsune wherever they go.
'Animals are just the best,' he says, beaming. 'They never let you down. They'll always be there for you on your worst days, happy to see you. ... I think they're the most joyful beings out there.'
