Planning to Have Pets in Japan?

4 Things You Should Prepare for…

Prepare for Language Barrier (If You Don’t Speak Japanese Fluently)

When you decide to own a dog or cat in Japan as a foreigner, the first thing you have to think of is “where to meet your future family.” Unfortunately, there is a slight number of bilingual pet shops or breeders in Japan today. While obtaining pets from breeders or shelters is common abroad, in Japan, the easiest option is often a pet shop. However as mentioned, not many pet shops speak your language or not even have English purchase contracts and etc. Some even might not allow you to purchase pet if you do not have permanent residency in Japan. If you are lucky to meet your new family at a shop, explanation before signing sales contract, including insurance, compensation for living illness / death is most likely going to be done in Japanese (and sales contract itself). So, if you do not speak Japanese or not confident enough to understand insurance / financial matters, bring your Japanese-speaking friend or install translation apps in advance to prepare for this purchasing process.

Check Pet-friendliness of Your Property

A stat shows that less than 20% of rental properties allow living with pets in central Tokyo. Narrowing it down to cat, a number of pet-friendly properties is lesser because cats may cause scratches and damages to its walls and odor is stronger (from a veterinarian’s point of view, damages to properties by pets could be easily minimized if you take measures). But in general, when renting a pet-friendly property in Japan, you may need to pay a large deposit. A reason is because there is a higher possibility that the pet pollutes the property when you move out, that the property owner takes it beforehand as a cleaning charge. You also might want to note that in Japan, some pet-friendly properties have a rule for a number of dogs and cat living together at the same time. Some even have a rule for size and weight for dog…and some even say “dogs not allowed in elevator.” So check your current or future property’s pet-related rules before obtaining your new pet(and of course, keep in mind that your pets may grow).

Taking a Dog for Walk in Japan 

In Japan’s residential environment, especially in the city center, there are many places where dog-walking in public places is strictly restricted. Often a sign says at a gate of a park “No Dogs Allowed…”

But inside a big park, sometimes you find a dog-friendly square called “Dog-Run(if you are not a Japanese-native, a “Dog Park” may sound familiar). Some “dog-runs” are free of charge and some are not, but a most of them require a vaccinated proof for the first-timer to prevent parasites. Surprisingly some dog-runs are too small that they would not let you unleash your dog even inside the space. Rules, sizes and prices really vary that you should check dog-runs in your area before start living with your dog. Currently there are 14 municipal dog parks in the center of Tokyo, and there are many other larger dog parks in rural area. Why don’t you have a little day-trip with your dog and try further dog-runs after getting used to with a walk around your home?

Find Your “Bilingual Animal Doctor”

If you are not a fluent Japanese speaker and planning to have a dog and cat, it is important to find an accessible bilingual animal doctor in advance(there is not many). This bilingual animal “home doctor” supports you with vaccination and other routine prevention. And in a case of emergency and severe life / death situation, often vocabularies used in English and Japanese become complex. For careful understanding and choosing of words, you may want to install a translation apps or prepare a set of pen and note for written communication. When you and your pet face a difficult illness, a home doctor may refer you to a hospital that provides advanced medical care. In a case like this, those hospitals prefer pet owners to bring a translator.

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As a native Japanese citizen living in Tokyo, I really wish for foreigners to enjoy living in Japan. And as a veterinarian working in Tokyo, I really wish to see more foreigners living with pets here(I believe that brings bigger joy). This blog is a series of tips for foreigners to enjoy living with pets In Tokyo and my clinic’s social act at the same time. Let’s cats and dogs! And in order to do that, let’s prepare the followings(summary).

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We, ANIMA ANIMAL HOSPITAL, located in the center of Tsukishima-Tokyo(near Ginza), aim to be the friendliest clinic for foreigners and their family.
Our website 　http://www.anima-ah.com/