Bringing our dog to Japan

REX · 4 Jan 2005

Within a couple of years, we're planning on moving to Japan, Kansia area. We're also planning on bringing our dog. She is used to being walked, off leash, twice a day. Does anyone have any information about areas that are dog friendly for a friendly dog? We're already aware of the quarantine restrictions, we just want info on what to expect for our dog once we are in Japan.

Thanks,

Rex and Lena

epigene · 5 Jan 2005

Everything depends on the neighborhood you live in, rather than the region. There are neighborhoods with large parks and dog runs and there are places with nothing at all.

Sorry, I can't give you much information, but there are many dogowners in Japan today who are concerned of the quality of life for their pets than there ever was--that's for sure. Hope you can find a good place to live for your pet!

Mike Cash · 5 Jan 2005

You'll probably find that finding housing which is accepting of and amenable to foreigners a larger challenge than finding a place which will develop a mutual love affair with your pooch.

REX · 6 Jan 2005

Thanx

We realize that it will be a challenge in all aspects but we think that Japan is the best choice of all the Asian countries since the people have more respect for dogs than other countries.
We will be scouting out places to live and work in March and hopefully we will move there within a year.
Maybe I should be asking what is the best area to live in that is dog friendly
As well as meets all the criteria of our Hobbies.... Do you think I'm asking for a lot??

Mike Cash · 6 Jan 2005

I think you're asking a bizarre question, if I may be so blunt. Not that you're bizarre or that being attached to your dog is bizarre, not that. But the idea of some particular region of Japan being somehow more "dog friendly" than another. If there were noticable and clear regional differences in DAF (Doggy Acceptance Factor [tm]) then lots of people would have already piped up and answered. As far as specific geographic regions (Kanto, Kansai, Tohoku, etc) go, it's basically an unanswerable question.

And from your signature I can guess that you like sailing, but you haven't given any other indication of what your hobbies are. At least not in this thread. So if we're supposed to factor your hobbies into our answers, then yes it is asking for a lot. Unsolicited, unappreciated, callously worded, useless advice....I'm a whiz at. Reading minds....I suck.

DoctorP · 6 Jan 2005

mikecash said:
Unsolicited, unappreciated, callously worded, useless advice....I'm a whiz at. Reading minds....I suck.

C'mon Mike...don't sell yourself short...you read my mind!

REX · 6 Jan 2005

mikecash said:
I think you're asking a bizarre question, if I may be so blunt. Not that you're bizarre or that being attached to your dog is bizarre, not that. But the idea of some particular region of Japan being somehow more "dog friendly" than another. If there were noticable and clear regional differences in DAF (Doggy Acceptance Factor [tm]) then lots of people would have already piped up and answered. As far as specific geographic regions (Kanto, Kansai, Tohoku, etc) go, it's basically an unanswerable question.

And from your signature I can guess that you like sailing, but you haven't given any other indication of what your hobbies are. At least not in this thread. So if we're supposed to factor your hobbies into our answers, then yes it is asking for a lot. Unsolicited, unappreciated, callously worded, useless advice....I'm a whiz at. Reading minds....I suck.

I have read quite a few of your posts Mike and I know what you mean about the useless advice. But I don't see it as that. As a matter of fact I find some of your replies and posts Quite entertaining, and if I didn't have you to reply to my bizarre question I would be looking at an empty post so thanx.

I was hoping someone would write in and say:

HEY I live near the shinjuku-gyoen and it's a great place to walk a dog.
or
We live in Takamatsu and 3 blocks from Ritsurinkoen-kitaguchi is Ritsurin-koen
and we walk our dog there but watch out for the grumpy old cremugen who walks there every morning at 7am because he hates dogs.

Yes I know I am asking too much but if I don't ask I will have to figure this out on my own and that will take some time.
Cheers and have a great day
Rex

Suki-Yaki · 6 Jan 2005

REX said:
We realize that it will be a challenge in all aspects but we think that Japan is the best choice of all the Asian countries since the people have more respect for dogs than other countries.
We will be scouting out places to live and work in March and hopefully we will move there within a year.
Maybe I should be asking what is the best area to live in that is dog friendly
As well as meets all the criteria of our Hobbies.... Do you think I'm asking for a lot??

And I thought all a dog ever needed was a bone and red roofed mini house...

mr.sumo.snr · 7 Jan 2005

I couldn't swear to it, but since about a dozen people walk dogs past my house every day (a quiet, unusually wide road originally built for access to about twenty rice fields which have now become about ten fields, ten houses and a language school!) , but anyway..thing is I live very much in the countryside and must admit to never, ever having seen a dog walked 'off the leash'. This does not necessarily mean it is illegal to do so, and perhaps is just the custom in my city, but still it's worth noting. It may well just be considered ill-mannered to not have one's dog on a leash.

If I may ask - what other 'hobbies' are you keen to pursue in Japan.

misa.j · 7 Jan 2005

Are you going to live in a house or an apartment? In most apartments pets are not welcomed.
In Japan, a lot of dogs are tied up outside next to a little dog house for a few reasons I can think of; Japanese houses don't have a big yard, Japanese houses have "tatami floor" which is not durable for dogs to run around inside.

IMO, keeping your dog on the leash when you walk them is one of your responsibilities and manners to avoid accidents, not only for people who don't like dogs, but also for your dog's safety. I am sure you will be able to find a park or a field for your dog to run around in Japan, too, but I would be keeping my dog on the leash otherwise.

I really hope you will find a way to satisfy your needs.

REX · 7 Jan 2005

mr.sumo.snr said:
I couldn't swear to it, but since about a dozen people walk dogs past my house every day (a quiet, unusually wide road originally built for access to about twenty rice fields which have now become about ten fields, ten houses and a language school!) , but anyway..thing is I live very much in the countryside and must admit to never, ever having seen a dog walked 'off the leash'. This does not necessarily mean it is illegal to do so, and perhaps is just the custom in my city, but still it's worth noting. It may well just be considered ill-mannered to not have one's dog on a leash.

If I may ask - what other 'hobbies' are you keen to pursue in Japan.

Rex's hobbies are sailing and drinking beer, either as individual or simultaneous sports. He also likes scuba-diving, and of course, walking the mutt. Lena's "hobby" seems to currently only consist of studying for her Masters in Applied Linguistics... and walking the mutt. All other hobbies have been put on hold. Once in Japan, she'd like to do more cycling, play some volleyball, travel, and drink wine. Ella, the mutt in question, is a border collie cross, and her hobbies are walking, eating chocolate whenever she can steal some, and drinking beer with Rex.

She told us she has no desire to live in a little red house.

Rex and Lena

REX · 7 Jan 2005

misa.j said:
Are you going to live in a house or an apartment? In most apartments pets are not welcomed.
In Japan, a lot of dogs are tied up outside next to a little dog house for a few reasons I can think of; Japanese houses don't have a big yard, Japanese houses have "tatami floor" which is not durable for dogs to run around inside.

IMO, keeping your dog on the leash when you walk them is one of your responsibilities and manners to avoid accidents, not only for people who don't like dogs, but also for your dog's safety. I am sure you will be able to find a park or a field for your dog to run around in Japan, too, but I would be keeping my dog on the leash otherwise.

I really hope you will find a way to satisfy your needs.

Thanks for the info. I guess we'll be looking for a house, not an apartment. Do newer style houses and apartments also have tatami floors or are they more likely to have linoleum?

Our dog is walked on leash when necessary. We're hoping to find an area from which we can walk her on leash to a place that she can run off leash. From what you said, it sounds like we'll be able to do that.

Rex and Lena

mr.sumo.snr · 7 Jan 2005

REX said:
Lena's "hobby" seems to currently only consist of studying for her Masters in Applied Linguistics... and walking the mutt. All other hobbies have been put on hold.

It sounds, therefore, taking your comments in another post into consideration that you and your significant other are planning to move to Japan to work in higher education.

The Masters will allow 'Lena' to pursue that goal - I'm assuming that you are or will be equally qualified. Of course only one of you needs the work visa, the other person can remain in the country on a 'dependent's' visa - only you wouldn't be allowed to work.

Many universities provide discounted rented accommodation to staff, especially gaijin staff - though I very much doubt such premises would allow pets (it would just never cross anyone's mind that the gaijin would have a pet).

Be aware that due to significant demographic changes occurring in Japan there is currently a dearth of university-age young people. On the one hand this is an excellent opportunity for high school graduates to enter more prestigious universities than they would have been able to just ten years ago. What this means for gaijin professorial staff is that colleges are NOT throwing money away like they used to and at the same time the 'quality' of the student intake is decreasing.

budd · 8 Jan 2005

good post! get down get down!
"What this means for gaijin professorial staff is that colleges are NOT throwing money away like they used to and at the same time the 'quality' of the student intake is decreasing."
frame that and sticky it at the top of this forum

Mike Cash · 8 Jan 2005

Useful info for Rex, or anyone else with chocolate mooching pooches.

Talk To The Vet – Care for your pet

TwistedMac · 8 Jan 2005

that is disgusting!
just think of all the germs the poor dog is getting!

REX · 9 Jan 2005

mikecash said:
Useful info for Rex, or anyone else with chocolate mooching pooches.

Talk To The Vet – Care for you pet

Thanks Mike that is a great web site I have been in there before,
and like the article says, the purer the chocolate the greater the risk.
Lucky for the Ella dog the chocolate she has managed to steal was of lower
Grade and probably had more sugar in it than Theo bromine.
They are right about the "Hyper excitability and Restlessness."
She was bouncing off the walls for a couple hours that evening.
We have since banned chocolate from the house. :sorry:

REX · 9 Jan 2005

TwistedMac said:
that is disgusting!
just think of all the germs the poor dog is getting!

That was funny, she did that all on her own. Well the pic was a redo but I knew if she would do it once she would do it again for the camera.

There I was slowly bringing my over filled Guinness up to my mouth and she slinked up beside me and.... LAP! LAP! LAP! That oversized tongue came out of nowhere and hit its mark.
She now has quite a penchant for the Barley Malt.

And by the way dogs can't catch human colds

Grandpa Frank · 2 Nov 2007

Bump up ...............................

pet info for new member. Looks like finding housing that will accept a dog could be a challenge?

Uncle Frank

☝

epigene · 2 Nov 2007

Although it is easy if the petowner intends to buy or rent a house, it's not that hard any longer to own a pet in an apartment!

Because of the large number of petowners these days, many new apartment buildings allow pets and actually have facilities for pets, such as dog washing facility outside the building entrance, small push-doors(?) for cats, etc. If you say that you plan to own a pet in your home, the real estate agent will probably be able to find a suitable home/apartment.

Glenski · 2 Nov 2007

Look, REX, the facts are simple, and Mike has laid them out for you.

Finding a place to live that accepts dogs is difficult, even for Japanese. If you find such a place, it will likely cost you more to rent. Renting houses is probably rarer than renting apartments. Depends on where you live. People who see Japanese walking their dogs seem to ignore the fact that those Japanese probably own houses.

You plan to be here in a couple of years, you said. That's pretty long-range planning. What sort of jobs do you expect to have?

My advice: plan to leave your dog behind with a caring person.

Grandpa Frank · 2 Nov 2007

Sorry for the confusion!!

This is an old post from 2005 that I bumped up for a new member looking for info on bringing her dog to Japan. I think REX is long gone.

Uncle Frank

Glenski · 2 Nov 2007

Frank, take 2 spankings out of petty cash.

bakaKanadajin · 2 Nov 2007

Glenski said:
Look, REX, the facts are simple, and Mike has laid them out for you.

Finding a place to live that accepts dogs is difficult, even for Japanese. If you find such a place, it will likely cost you more to rent. Renting houses is probably rarer than renting apartments. Depends on where you live. People who see Japanese walking their dogs seem to ignore the fact that those Japanese probably own houses.

You plan to be here in a couple of years, you said. That's pretty long-range planning. What sort of jobs do you expect to have?

My advice: plan to leave your dog behind with a caring person.

man who ****ed in your corn flakes?

Bringing our dog to Japan

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