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Pampered
pooches in Japan
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Dogs have it so good in Japan that they are treated like family members. HAVE you heard of Hachiko, Japan’s most famous dog? A life-sized bronze statue of the dog can be seen at Shibuya train station in Tokyo. Hachiko was so devoted to his master, Dr Eisaburo Ueno, that he kept vigil outside Shibuya Station everyday for his return for 10 years, even after the professor had died of a stroke at his university in l925. Commuters were touched by this Akita dog’s presence. Hachiko died on the very same spot in l935. His statue is a popular rendezvous in Shibuya. Every year many dog lovers pay homage to Hachiko at a solemn ceremony. His loyalty to his master has been portrayed in books and movies. Man’s best friend, or family member? A statue of another dog stands at Tsukijigawa Ginza Park in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, in honor of Chirori for her role as a therapy dog to patients and the elderly. This abandoned mongrel was a whisker away from being put down at a dog pound before she was saved and trained by Toru Oki, blues singer-cum-therapy dog trainer, and chairman of the International Therapy Dog Association. Chirori died of cancer in 2006. During the unveiling ceremony last year, Oki sang a song he composed for her on the night she died, and kissed her statue. Like Hachiko, Chirori’s story was featured in a book, photo collection and movie. On a family outing in a park, we witnessed many people with more than one dog. One man was walking four Dachshunds wearing dark sunglasses like him. Another man’s three Pomeranians were prancing around with their bushy tails dyed in green, orange, and purple like colorful pom-poms. Walking past us was a young couple pushing a toy poodle in a stroller. |
A dog’s role is changing from being a man’s best friend to a family member. With the declining natality and increasing age of the population, it is becoming a worrying factor that pet dogs are replacing kids in Japan. The dog boom in Japan has led to extravagant dog-related products and services. Dog boutiques and salons are mushrooming. Some hot spring resorts and spas offer dog massages and aromatherapy. If you can’t take your dog along on a trip, there are “dog hotels” offering dog-sitting services. Some eateries are pooch-friendly. You can enjoy your meal with your canine at a dog cafe which has dog menus. Some pooches are lavished with dog’s osechi ryouri (traditional Japanese new year food), birthday parties and Christmas presents. A few years ago, The Daily Yomiuri published a wedding picture of two dogs. At a university hospital, I saw guide dogs accompanying their visually impaired masters for their medical appointments. I once bumped into a shopper with her Corgi in a shopping cart at a big DIY store. Passers-by sometimes pat the cute dog leashed to a lamppost, while the dog owner shops at a supermarket. But you better not touch the two canines of my friend’s landlord. They are guard dogs, barking viciously at anyone who comes a-calling. I seldom come across dog poo on the roadside here. People walking their dogs are requested to bring home the excrement for disposal. They usually bring along a vinyl bag, some newspapers, and a small dustpan or trowel to scoop up the waste. My Japanese friends wipe their pooches’ feet before they let them inside their apartments. One Papillion refuses to walk on the grass and dirty her paws. A friend’s apartment building even has a wash place outside for washing dog’s feet. However, not all apartment rules allow their residents to keep dogs. Even if they do, the size of the dog is taken into consideration. I thought I was mistaken when I glanced at a TV commercial. Doggie diapers? Hmm. But later, I found huge stacks of such diapers at a store. “A senile or an aging dog needs diapers,” explained my friend, Yukie, who has an 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named “Coco.” Since Yukie’s children have married and moved out, she dotes on Coco and dresses her up. As Yukie’s health prevents her from carrying heavy stuff, she pushes Coco in a buggy to a grooming salon for pedicure and haircut, or vet clinic for treatment. Recently, when Coco was hospitalized for two days, Yukie forked out nearly 41,000 yen (RM1,350). Depending on the condition and age, and due to the exorbitant cost of keeping a dog, you can buy dog’s health insurance. The lifespan of dogs has been extended with fortified food, vitamins, vaccinations, and better health care. Many people would pay anything to prolong the lives of their pets. Disabled or aging dogs are pampered with harnesses, “wheelchairs”, nursing care and even acupuncture. There are vet clinics that open for longer hours than ordinary clinics. Whose life is better now, huh? Even death cannot separate owners from their dogs. With companies offering pet cemeteries or shared graves, funerals and memorials, Yukie is planning to have Coco buried in a dog grave in the same cemetery as hers. And me? I freeze, and yell my lungs out when an excited dog comes sniffing, licking, barking, and jumping at me. My scream is louder than the dog’s bark! > Sarah Mori is a Malaysian married to a Japanese and has been living in Japan since 1992. She is slowly overcoming her fear of dogs. |
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