Seeing a sign that reads “Dog Café,” you might be alarmed and think, Oh no, they’re eating Fido!—but nothing could be further from the truth.
Japan has a deep love of dogs and other small furry animals, and many of the more fashionable shopping arcades and districts have dog cafés and other businesses catering to animal lovers.
Dog cafés are cafés or small diners where you can bring your pup, enjoy a cappuccino, and order a “puppuccino” or a sausage or two for your furry friend.
Dogs are all the rage in Japan and have become one of the country’s most fashionable accessories. Large breeds are dressed up, fluffy ones are dyed in bright colours, and small ones ride in handbags—it doesn’t matter what breed, as long as you’re seen with a pooch. With many people in Japan living in small apartments, owning a dog is often considered a status symbol.
But what if you don’t have the space for a dog? No problem—you can rent one! That’s right, in Japan, you can hire a dog by the hour, just like renting a car. You can take your temporary canine companion for a walk or treat it to a bone and a steak salad at a dog café.
Many dog-friendly districts also have specialty pet grooming salons, where dogs are treated like royalty—complete with shampoos, conditioners, blow-dries, perms, dye jobs, and manicures. Some of these grooming salons are more luxurious than high-end hair salons! There are also dog boutiques selling the latest fashion and jewellery for pampered pups.
There’s nothing quite like seeing a pink and green-dyed poodle being pushed around in a pram, wearing booties, a diamond necklace, sunglasses, and a bonnet.
One of the best places to show off a rented furry companion is around Palette Town shopping centre on Tokyo’s Odaiba island. Here, an entire floor is dedicated to dog cafés, pet department stores, and luxury grooming salons (or should that be “fur-dressers”?). You can rent a dog, go for a stroll, and maybe even stop for a bite to eat at a dog-friendly café.
