Rabies Prevention in Japan: What You Need to Know Now

Rabies vaccinations are mandatory once a year. Japan has a unique system for administering vaccinations. This time, I wrote a blog focusing on rabies prevention in Japan.

What is rabies?

Rabies is caused by the rabies virus, and is caused by being bitten by an animal infected with the rabies virus or by coming into contact with saliva on a wound. Rabies symptoms do not appear immediately after being bitten, but after 1-2 months. Once symptoms appear, it is a 100% fatal disease. Japan is surrounded by the sea, so if the rabies virus is allowed to enter the country, it is difficult to expel it. Fortunately, there have been no cases of rabies in Japan since 1956. This is because the Rabies Prevention Law requires strict inspections of dogs, cats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks imported and exported from overseas, and requires that all dogs over 91 days old in Japan receive preventive vaccinations.

The Japanese fiscal year system

Before we talk about rabies vaccinations, let’s explain the unique Japanese custom of the fiscal year.

The Japanese fiscal year system refers to the year from April 1st to March 31st of the following year. This is a way of dividing time that is often used in Japanese schools and companies. For example, at school, the new school year starts in April and ends in March. At companies, new employees often join the company and new business ventures start in April. This system is influenced by Japanese culture, where spring is considered the perfect time to start something new. Many other countries use a calendar year that runs from January to December, but Japan is a little different. If you are a foreign pet owner living in Japan, knowing what this fiscal year system is will help you make your life at school or work smoother. As April is the start of the fiscal year, rabies vaccinations are encouraged to be administered from April to June during Rabies Prevention Month. However, puppies born in September must receive the rabies vaccine after 91 days of age, so they are vaccinated in January. In such cases, it is best not to push yourself too hard the next fiscal year, but to gradually shift the vaccination schedule so that it can ultimately be administered between April and June.

Rabies vaccination process

If you are getting a new dog, you will need to have your dog microchipped, which will become mandatory from 2022, and you will need to register the number recorded on the microchip with the Ministry of the Environment. (You can register online at https://reg.mc.env.go.jp) Next, you will receive a rabies vaccination at the nearest veterinary clinic. Once you receive the rabies vaccination, you will receive a metal plate called a vaccination certificate. However, the method of obtaining this varies depending on the municipality, and you may receive it at a public health center or a veterinary clinic, so please follow the instructions of the veterinary clinic. For vaccinations from the second year onwards, you will receive a rabies information letter by mail from your local public health center every March. With that envelope, you can take the vaccination to a veterinary clinic or, depending on the area, to a designated place. Please keep the envelope sent by the public health center in a safe place.

If a dog bites someone

Contact your local public health center immediately and consult with the nearest veterinary clinic. The veterinary clinic will perform a physical examination of the dog, following the manual for when a dog bites a person. In principle, the dog will be examined again two weeks after the first examination, and a medical certificate will be prepared to prove that the dog is not infected with rabies. The owner must submit this medical certificate to the public health center. Please be aware that if a dog that has not been vaccinated against rabies bites a person, the owner is likely to be charged with various crimes.

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Our hospital is located in Tsukishima, Tokyo, near Ginza and surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings, and we aim to be a foreigner-friendly veterinary hospital. We will continue to take on various initiatives so that we can become a place where foreign pet owners can feel free to consult us about any small matter.

Our hospital website: https://www.anima-ah.com/