My silver standard poodle, Jumblie, accompanied me to Japan and wrote A
Dog's Guide To Tokyo. He wanted to give western dogs a sniff of Japan. "I
hope to tease your appetite just enough to make you curious," he wrote.
"Give you enough facts to chew on, but leave you still panting for more.
Then you will always carry within you the hunger to travel beyond your own
backyard."
The renowned Japanese photographer, Eikoh Hosoe, shot both Taka-chan and I
and A Dog's Guide to Tokyo. We wanted to know if it was possible to
illustrate fantasy with photographs - and it was.
TABLE MANNERS
You’ll find the low dining tables very convenient – especially if you get there first. Remember, it is considered impolite to leave any rice in the bowl.
However, the low table has its disadvantages too. The beggar will get very cramped waiting for a few rice grains to fall. And chopsticks may look hard to use, but the Japanese manage to spill very little from theirs.
THE BED PROBLEM
The dog who likes to sneak up on the bed when no one is home will have his problems. During the day Japanese beds are folded into the closet.
HEATING
The thing about Japanese heating is that there really isn’t any. There aren’t even any fireplaces to stretch out in front of. You’ll have to be content with small gas burners which hardly take the chill of your fur. Only dogs with thick coats should travel to Japan in the winter.