Dressed-up Ninja Dog at the Mifune Matsuri in Kyoto
(For more Japan photos, click here: 2006, 2006 (Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage), February / March 2009, April 2009, May 2009, June 2009)
„Lucky charms for animals sell very well recently. More people think of
their pets as family members,” explains the Shinto priest at the Nogi Shrine. With
his old-fashioned glasses and an unfavourable haircut he looks rather like a
middle-aged businessman. We have just noticed the orange and light blue small
cloth packages for dogs and cats, with the written lucky charm inside, among the usual talismans against
evil, or for safe
journeys or easy childbirth. The Nogi Shrine is dedicated to an
unusual god, the victorious General Mareisuke Nogi, who in 1912, together with his wife, committed seppuku, ritual suicide, out of loyalty
when the Meiji emperor died.
The next day we eye the Japanese family sitting opposite us in the
subway. He has very spiky hair and black-rimmed glasses, she is wearing a fancy
petticoat, and both appear to be very young. Suddenly we realize that the small
buggy holds a Yorkshire terrier rather than a toddler. By now we are more alert
to the status of pets.
We notice the many cat cafes in Tokyo: Coffee Shops where customers can cuddle
a sedated Angora cat while sipping a Cafe Latte. Ever more people are walking
proudly through the city with their dressed up dogs. A hotel in Kaga Onsen
advertises shared facilities for dog and owner - from the room to the hot spa.
Curious, we venture into the dog accessory
store in the Apia Shopping Mall. The display of dogs’ outfits has caught our
eye. Current dog fashion has moved far beyond the holder’s worn out T-Shirts.
The modern pet owner chooses from a wide selection of sweaters, jeans, sportswear
and even leather jackets for his darling. For the she-dog there is lovely
lingerie on sale. All this comes for a price, of course – about the same as
that for children’s clothes. Leaving the shop we pass a showcase filled with delectable
cream tarts and fancy cakes. “These delicacies are low-sugar and low-fat,
therefore safe to eat for pets. Why not enjoy a piece of cake together with your
pet on children’s day?” a sign suggests. The current trend of people treating their
pets to cream pie, weekend outings and fancy clothes might be new, but of
course people have always loved their pets. At the shrine we learn that General
Nogi loved his horses so much that he built them a modern stable first thing
after buying the premises. Only then he started with a simple house for his
family. In the end, however, he didn’t include his horses as far into the
family to let them join the loyalty suicide.
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