I've wondered about this as I know that people generally have less living space in Japan than in the United States. I would imagine that dogs aren't as popular with no back yard for them to run around in (at least not the larger dogs). What about other animals? I do see a LOT of japanese aquarium websites, so I imagine aquariums are popular. There also seems to be a fascination with cats in Japan. Are they common pets? What about hamsters, gerbils, rabbits... etc.? Maybe lots of people don't keep pets at all?