According to experts, fewer births, people living alone and the cute factor are some of the inherent reasons for Japan’s dog obsession. In addition, some companies provide a pet allowance and allow for condolence leave for the death of a beloved pet. This is one of the many ironies of Japan. It is a culture of repressed feelings and very little public affection and display, and yet, you take the brawniest of men here and sooner or later you will see a small furry head peek out of his jacket. The first time I came to Tokyo, I remember marveling at these pupuccinos. They are so tiny and can sometimes fit in the palm of your hand! Chase and I have been begging Cliff to let us get one. This is no impulse purchase my friends. These teacup dogs can be VERY expensive and require microchips for security and then there is insurance. This does not include the money for maintenance and coiffures.
Here are some random photos of pets I ran across since I have been here. It was much easier getting shots of pooches than people:
On a completely different topic:
This past weekend, Chase and I had the opportunity to go skating for the first time with Chase’s Cub Scout group. It was really so much fun and even though, we both stumbled away black and blue, we had a great time.
After skating from 1:00pm to 4:30pm, we were exhausted and starving. Lucky for us, the Yokohama Ramen Museum was just around the corner! If you are in the area and have a chance to go, PLEASE make an effort to visit this crazy museum. It is a 1:1 replication of an old town during Showa Japan (1950′s) and there are actual Ramen restaurants throughout representing the different styles of ramen in Japan. Another bit of advice: Go hungry and order the “Mini Size” bowls. This was you can sample more than one style. We were shooting for 3 bowls, but ended up stopping after 2 and going after some dessert. The funny thing is when we walked in, it was like going back in time. According to Chase, “This must be at least 1980′s mom!” The Den leader and I just looked at each other and shook our heads.
Chris, the Den leader and I , discussed the possibility of adding this to next year’s skate trip and inventing a “Ramen Badge”. Even though I had initial concerns about Chase joining the scouts (lazy mom side showing), I must admit I am really glad that he was so enthusiastic about it. The scouts organization has given us some of the highlights of our stay here in Japan and provided us so much opportunity to do things together and meet some very special people.
Tomorrow, I am taking Chase and Nikita to Kidzania for the day since there’s no school. Between the international, Japanese, and Catholic holidays, I swear, they only go to school 3 days a week. As the name implies, should be another interesting if not zany day for everyone.
Until next time…
