Japan Takes Lead in Pet Style
Katsuya Ishii, a 43-year-old freelance translator with three cats, recently moved into a bigger apartment because his feline family hated the old place. They now have their own room and their own computer after they displayed a preference for a high-tech sleeping spot.
All told, Ishii says he spends at least $4,000 a year on the little darlings and 1,000 hours of his time entertaining and looking after them.
“As long as they’re happy, I’m happy, even if that means giving them my PC,” Ishii says. “In general, Japanese are spending more on their pets these days as more people live alone.”
Although every nation has its share of animal lovers, Japan’s demographics and high disposable incomes have combined with changing social attitudes to elevate pet pampering to an art form.
Statistics aren’t available on Japan’s pet spending, but retailers say business is booming despite the gloom seen throughout the rest of the economy. Affluent Japanese are lapping up everything from tofu dog treats and beastly fashion accessories by the likes of Tiffany, Prada, Coach and Louis Vuitton to pet counseling, Alzheimer’s disease remedies, workout machines and contact lenses.
High-end houses of fashion offer matching owner and animal outfits, such as Burberry’s $334 doggy trench coat with signature lining, collar and belt.
“This is a fantastic product,” gushes a review in Hanako, a weekly lifestyle magazine. “And with the trench coat’s open style behind, dogs can easily do their business.”
Hermes has jumped on the pet wagon with a red-and-white leather tote priced at $1,458--an essential accouterment for the well-heeled pooch. “Seeing your dog’s head peek out while you walk should increase your affection for your pet,” explains another review.
Looking for something a bit more urban chic? You might consider Gucci’s $470 leather leash-and-collar ensemble. “Simple yet refined, this modern stylish collar gives metropolitan elegance to your pooch,” says Hanako.
Gucci’s view of doggy elegance, however, evidently has its limits. The fashion house doesn’t allow beasties in its showrooms.
Once you have the outfit taken care of, it’s time to think about social introductions. Kanako Matsuzawa, manager of the APDC pet boutique at Tokyo’s upscale Mitsukoshi department store, says many owners spend lavishly just before their pet’s “park debut”--the dog world’s equivalent of the debutante ball. Her shop sells nonalcoholic canine champagne and caviar and a full line of beauty products and animal hair sprays to avoid that ruffled look.
Introductions are always a tricky business in Japan, and business cards, known as meishi, are de rigueur for everyone who’s anyone. Somehow, dogs and cats have survived for centuries without meishi, but Pet Media Co. recently decided to fill this huge void, and the orders have poured in.
Naturally, dog meishi carry their own rituals. Many customers, for instance, consider any mention of the dreaded term “owner,” either on meishi or in person, to be something of a faux pas. Instead, many prefer “Fido’s mother” or “Fido’s father,” says Pet Media manager Sou Yokoyama.
In Japan it’s often considered rude to be too direct, especially when introducing yourself. Many owners in the pet subculture get around this by speaking to and answering through their pets. When another dog owner asks your dog how old he or she is, for instance, you might respond: “You’re 3, Fido, aren’t you?”
“Since some people have trouble communicating with each other directly, dog meishi can help a lot,” Yokoyama explains.
The number of Japanese households with pets has jumped 50% since 1990, with the greatest concentration among the most affluent segments of the population, according to national lifestyle surveys. As of last year, Japan’s 125 million people had 10 million dogs and 7.7 million cats, a 5% increase from 1999, says the Pet Food Manufacturers Assn. The numbers, however, are dwarfed by the estimated 68 million pet dogs and 73 million cats in the U.S.
Traditionally, dogs and cats in Japan were expected to earn their keep by protecting the house or catching mice. In recent years, however, pets have filled more emotional needs as the nation faces a decline in births, an aging population and the breakdown of family structures.
“People are starting to see pets more as members of the family,” Yuko Ozaki, a researcher at Nihon Women’s University and head of the Pet Institute, wrote in a report on housing trends and pet ownership.
Ever quick to sense an opportunity as the distinctions between man and beast blur, cosmetics maker Shiseido last month introduced a line of shampoos, conditioners and “Villefranche” perfume sprays for use by either.
Even old-line Japanese craftspeople are rushing to fill the nation’s growing interest in pet panache. With orders of its traditional kimonos falling off, Kyoto-based Ito Family Crest Assn. recently introduced a version for dogs.
“Some animal rights activists complain about putting clothes on dogs or cats, but as society changes it’s important that people have something they care about,” says Yasuhiro Ito, a great-grandson of the shop’s founder.
Hisako Ueno in The Times’ Tokyo Bureau contributed to this report.
