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00:46 GMT, 10 June 2012

It’s A Dog’s Life

When the Japanese embrace a craze they do so with a fervour and extravagance that can baffle outsiders.
So while the country’s growing trend for dog ownership might seem innocuous enough, it has spawned an
£8 billion-a-year industry that offers adored pooches the sort of over-the-top luxuries usually reserved for
the wealthiest humans.

Families increasingly regard pets as an alternative to having children – and are lavishing all manner of privileges
on them, including dog kimonos, fake fur coats, £1,000 Hermes leather tote bags, £230 designer jeans and
even school uniforms.



Such wardrobes are accessorised with nappies, jewellery and designer dog buggies of the type favoured by
yummy mummies, all ‘must-have’ items for any image-conscious dog owner. After all, one must look one’s best
when travelling to exclusive restaurants where dogs sit on chairs to eat specially prepared organic food that can
be shared with their owner.

And if such pampering gets too much, there are yoga classes, ‘lotions and potions’ and hot spring resorts to
help the frazzled pups destress.

Even in death, no expense is spared. A deluxe funeral package with full Buddhist rites and mini-temple can be
bought for £7,000.



If becoming a fully fledged dog ‘parent’ is a little daunting or expensive – a miniature dachshund or Pomeranian
can cost £4,000, even before the vital accessories – there is always the option to rent one for an hour’s walk.
Customers are supplied with a leash, some tissues and a plastic bag should the animal need to do a spot of
business along the way.

Typical of the new breed of owner is 50-year-old Toshiko Horikoshi, a successful eye surgeon who lives in an
upmarket area of Tokyo. Along with her stylish apartment and a Porsche in the garage, she owns two dogs,
Ginger and Tinkerbell, who have their own wardrobe with a lavish collection of summer and winter clothes.



But there is a serious point behind this showy extravagance.

The Japanese are becoming increasingly obsessed with dogs because, even with designer accessories, they are a
more affordable substitute for children in difficult economic times. And that is leading to a demographic time
bomb, a documentary for the BBC’s World Service revealed last night.

There are now more pets (22 million) than children (17 million) in Japan, and if trends continue the country’s population
could be reduced from 128 million to 85 million over the next century – which would have a devastating effect on the
country’s already struggling economy, analysts warn.

Government spokesman Ryuichi Kaneko says the implications are terrifying. ‘If the population is shrinking then the
workforce is also shrinking and we need young people to support our elderly who are living longer.’



Kunio Kitamara, director of Japan’s Family Planning Research Centre, says: ‘Young people have little money, we are
suffering economic stagnation and it has hit young men particularly hard.

‘At the same time the libido of young Japanese men is also steadily lagging – 32 per cent of them admit they’d rather
avoid sex because they believe it will interfere with exam success. Women are also shunning marriage – a prerequisite
for having children in Japan, which does not bode well for a baby boom.’