But quite on the contrary, what bothers me is this: We’re falling behind Japan. I’ve seen way too many things for dogs in Japan that we don’t have that I want. Yeah, there’s some wacky stuff I could live without, but mostly, I feel like we have some catching up to do.

Dogs Everywhere

If you’ve ever met a friend in Shibuya by the famous statue of Hachiko – a dog who died in the 1930s – you know the Japanese love of dogs is nothing new. But in the last couple of decades, pet ownership has increased to new heights. It’s estimated that in 2012, one out of four Japanese households had a cat or a dog, and one estimate of the number of pet dogs is 11,530,000.

In fact, it’s often noted that there are more pets than children. Figures are tossed around like, the number of dogs and cats combined has outnumbered children since 2003, or that in 2006, there were more pet dogs than children under 12.

I guess some people like children more than I do, because when I read articles like that, my reaction is, “You say this like it’s a problem?” And it’s true that with increased popularity come some new issues. But like in any good capitalist society, those increased numbers also mean new business opportunities, which result in awesome stuff for dog owners to take advantage of.

Going Places

The Japanese innovation that I’m most jealous of is the dog cafe. Dog cafes aren’t to be confused with cat cafes, where you go to pet cats that live at the cafe. A dog cafe is a place for you to go together with your own dog. There are fancy dishes you can order for your pet, and there’s human food, some dog-themed, like this pancake from the cafe pictured above in Odaiba:

It’s a good thing my two pugs can’t read this article, or they’d be demanding we immediately move to Tokyo. They’re not interested in playing ball or going for walks in the woods. Their taste in entertainment is the same as mine: they like to go out to eat. But since health rules ban dogs from restaurants in the US, our opportunities to do this are incredibly restricted. We have to find a restaurant with a patio or sidewalk table, they have to let us sit at it (many places don’t want dogs even outside, and it’s often strictly speaking illegal there also), and, of course, the weather has to be suitable, which it hardly ever is. To me and my dogs, these cafes would be heaven on earth.

If they were normal dogs that like to play outside, Tokyo would also be a great place to live, because I also came across the best off-leash dog park I’ve ever seen. Yoyogi Park is more famous for, say, synchronized rockabilly dancers and other wacky human activities, but it also has an amazing, huge dog park. As you can see from the sign above, it’s divided into sections for different size dogs, which is important for safety, but something there’s rarely room for in the dog parks in my neck of the woods.

But you’re not restricted to fun near home. Maybe the most amazing dog-related business that we don’t have is a chain of hotels called Wan Wan Paradise that are especially for people to stay with their dogs. There are services like groomers, trainers and photographers, activities like group hikes, and facilities for swimming and dog sports. Here’s a bulletin board of photos of happy guests at their hotel in Toba:

If you’re a very well informed American dog owner, you may say “But wait! We can do this. There are dog camps.” Yes, there are dog camps where you can stay for a week with your pup and do all kinds of canine activities. But Wan Wan Paradise is no campground. For the humans, there are all the facilities of a hot spring resort, including the fancy food (check out the photo galleries here and here)

It’s hard enough to find a hotel in the US that will simply tolerate letting you bring your dog along. A resort that actually catered to them would be paradise indeed.

Canine Cuisine

Dog cafes – like the one at Tokyo SkyTree that has the menu pictured above – are far from the only place where you can get fancy dog food in Japan. If you’re driving to one of those special dog hotels, apparently you can even get special dog bento at some highway rest stops

What’s a dog bento, you may ask? They’re probably a lot like this one, from a pet shop in the same mall in Odaiba that I mentioned above:

The shop also had amazing and creative treats that imitate both Japanese and Western style human food:

And if those aren’t fancy enough for you, you can order a special New Year’s dog bento:

OK, now that is over the top. But I admit it: if I lived there, I’d be first in line to pick mine up.

Fashion

Photo by Aaron Olaf

I’m totally on board with dog restaurants and hotels, but here’s where things start to seem crazy to me: Japanese dog fashion.

Yes, there’s a lot more dog clothing in the US than there used to be. But the majority of it is practical, to keep your dog dry or warm. And the clothes that are purely decorative are usually no fancier than t-shirts. There is more elaborate stuff, but it’s fairly rare.

In Japan, it’s a lot more common to dress your dog, and there’s a lot more fancy fashion. There are also particular categories of garments that are nearly unheard of here. Yes, we have dresses, although they have a lot more of them. And I can almost understand, for a special occasion, a dog manicure, if you have the sort of dog (unlike mine) that will let you touch its precious paws.

What they have that I can’t get my head around are the pajamas, and the pants:

Photo by Stéfan

Why would a dog need to sleep any way but naked? And why would one need to wear pants? But to be honest, I don’t understand most of Japanese human fashion either, so maybe I’m missing something.

Not All Roses

image by Lachlan Hardy

Not everything is perfect for the dog owner in Japan. Before I drop everything and move myself and my pugs to Tokyo, I’d need to deal with the fact that it’s still quite hard to find a rental that allows pets.

I also saw a video of a Japanese trainer suggesting that the polite dog owner should carry an absorbent pad for her pup to pee on – even OUTDOORS. Picking up poop has become standard in most of the developed world, but picking up pee is just plain nuts.

The rapid rise of the pet dog in Japan also has some dark sides. Like the US, Japan has a problem with puppy mills, businesses that churn out dogs with little concern for the welfare of either the parents or the puppies. And there’s not much of a culture of adopting from shelters, so most abandoned pets are euthanized.

But I feel pretty confident that a dog in a loving home in Japan has it as good as anywhere in the world. When I was at that cafe in Odaiba, there was a couple with a pug, and of course I had to show them all the pictures of my own pugs on my phone. The woman asked how old they were, and when I told her that the older one was 14, she reacted exactly the way I would have: She wanted to know how I did it. How did I care for my dog that she lived to be that old? My Japanese is minimal and her English was only a little better, but we managed to have the same conversation I’d have had back at home about the ingredients in dog food. It convinced me that Japanese dog lovers are the same deep down, even if some of them they do dress their pups in pants.

All images not credited are by Linda Lombardi

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Bonus Wallpapers!

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So, for now I’ll just have to share with you my love for Japanese dogs via the internets. Yes there will be some puppies. Hopefully in the future I can grace you with real life puppy videos after I retire and become a Shikoku Inu breeder / tea farmer.

The Japanese Dog Breeds Map

Native Japanese dogs are “Spitz” type dogs, meaning they tend to have thick fur, pointed ears, and muzzles. Their tails are also curled like a little spring. In Japan, many of the native dog breeds are named after the area in which they came from. For example, the Hokkaido-inu is from Hokkaido. The Shikoku-inu is from Shikoku. The Shiba-inu (perhaps Japan’s most well known dog thanks to the Shiba-inu cam) isn’t really from anywhere in particular, but it’s still very cute.

This little map should give you a little bit of an idea of where these dogs came from. Let’s look at them a little more closely.

Native Japanese Dog Breeds

Japanese dog breeds are some of the most ancient in the world. If you want an “old world” dog, most of the native Japanese dog breeds will do the trick. Have you noticed how many of them look pretty wolfy? That’s a pretty good sign in terms of how old the breed is, I’m guessing.

Shiba-Inu

Almost certainly the most well known Japanese dog.  You may know of this type of dog from the Shiba-inu puppy cam that took the world by storm.

They’re a medium sized dog, have a thick double coat, and has pointed ears with a curly tail (it’s a spitz, after all). They’re one of the  oldest dog breeds, so they tend to be harder to control and don’t do great with children and other dogs without good training. Also, they’re fairly independent and are also known to enjoy running away.

Still, they’re particularly nice dogs and keep themselves nice and clean. I wouldn’t mind having a Shiba-inu if Shikoku-inus and Akita-inus didn’t exist.

Akita-Inu

There are several different types of Akita-Inu, including a fairly distinct looking American Akita breed. It has the traits of the Spitz breed, but is one of the larger Spitz dogs. They actually almost went extinct during WWII when soldiers would kill them for their warm coats. An interesting book on this subject is “Dog Man.” It’s about the guy who brought the Akita back from near-extinction. Also, this was the dog in “Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale” starring Japan’s favorite actor of all time, Richard Gere.

The Akita is a combination of dignity, courage, alertness, and devotion. It is however fairly territorial and may not be good with strangers. That being said, it’s also known for “having an affinity for children, just as retrievers have an affinity with sticks and balls,” so, uh, I guess just make sure you don’t toss your child across a field when an Akita is around.

Just like a Shiba, they’re also very clean even licking themselves and cleaning their face after eating, making them my ideal dog.

Hokkaido Ken

Photo by Yukun615

This is a medium sized dog, kind of like a Shiba-inu. It is known for loving its owner, bravery, and its thick coat (it is from Hokkaido after all). Most unusually, it is able to fight the Hokkaido Brown Bear by attacking the bear’s back, holding on to the bear’s neck until the bear runs off. It’s also a good hunter so… not a great farm dog if you want your chickens to stay alive.

Oh, and if you’re wondering where you may have seen this dog before, maybe it’s from reading about these Softbank commercials?

Kai-Ken

Photo by Yamabouzu

The Kai-ken is an interesting breed. It’s a medium sized dog  with a harsh feeling coat. It’s known for its tiger-stripe fur. They’re definitely very wild looking. They’re intelligent, agile, alert, and brave. They’re hunters and guard dogs, and do well with their owners but are reserved around strangers without good training.

Shikoku Inu

Photo by Elektra96

A little bigger than a Shiba, more wolfy, and from the Shikoku area of Japan. The thing that differentiates this breed from Shiba-inus is that they’re a lot less aloof and a lot more alert to what’s going on. That’s pretty much the reason why I like these dogs the most, though they’re harder to come by. They’re loyal, cautious, brave, and are known to chase wild boars for fun. They’re good for more active people since they need to run a lot, so don’t get one and let it sit around in your apartment all day long.

Kishu Inu

The Kishu-inu is usually white, has a thick coat, and is a one person / family kind of dog (aka they’re super loyal). They’re good hunters and like to chase prey, but will usually do fine with other dogs if socialized properly. Because of all these things, you’ll want to be an active owner if you own one of these dogs. They need to runnnn.

“Imported Into Japan” Breeds

There are a number of breeds that are considered “Japanese” but were obviously imported. You can tell because they’re as not awesome anymore.

Japanese Chin

Ugh, here’s where my dogism shines through. This dumb looking dog is small, has long hair, and is supposedly pretty calm despite being a tiny dog. They were originally brought over from China though Japan created their own distinct version of the breed. Noble houses would keep this breed as a companion / house pet, as it had no actual useful function beyond this. Seriously, though. What a derp-fest that face is.

Japanese Spitz

The Japanese Spitz is a fluffy small to medium sized Spitz breed dog that was developed in the 1920s by mixing various spitz dogs together. They’re active, loyal, and fairly smart. They’re good with children, too. One thing that makes them stand out is their longevity. These dogs live 10-16 years, making them one of the longest living dog breeds.

Japanese Terrier

The Japanese Terrier is a small dog that’s “lively and cheerful” in character… aka, it’s probably yappy and annoying. They were brought over via Dutch merchant ships in Nagasaki. They became popular lap dogs in their time, though now they’re a fairly rare breed in Japan.

Tosa Inu

Some would call this a Japanese breed, though it’s a bit in between. It’s a mix between the Shikoku-inu and European dog breeds (such as the Old English Bulldog, Mastif, St. Bernard, German Pointer, Great Dane, and Bull Terrier. So, there’s many different kinds and they don’t look like Native Japanese dogs, though they are half. This breed is somewhat known to be a “dangerous dog,” though I’m sure with proper raising it’s just as nice as every other dog everyone’s afraid of. It was also raised to be in dog fights back in the day, so, well, yeah, that.

Sakhalin Husky

Not sure if this is really a Japanese dog or not, but it is related to the Akita inu. They were used in the ill-fated 1958 Japanese Antarctic research expedition. The dogs were left behind due to the researchers thinking a relief team would come to save them, but no relief team ever came. These dogs are very rare in Japan right now, probably because they were all left in Antarctica.

Getting A Japanese Dog

No matter what the breed it’s definitely harder than easier to get one outside of Japan. The Shiba-inu is probably the most  common outside of Japan, but everything else is somewhat rare. Akitas and Shikoku-inus aren’t impossible to find, but then you run into the Kai-ken and Hokkaido Inu, which are really really tough to find. If you look around you’ll find breeders for a lot of these dogs, but just be prepared to travel a few hours to get to them unless you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky you won’t find any breeders at all. Some of these dogs are Japan-only because they’re “national treasures.”

Importing a Japanese dog from Japan has its own challenges as well. You’ll have your work cut out for you in terms of finding a breeder first of all willing to export their dog overseas, let alone to someone who’s not Japanese. They’re Japanese dogs so many Japanese breeders want to keep them in Japan. The dogs are so rare already.

No matter what you do be prepared to pay up the nose. The most common type of Japanese dog, the Shiba, is probably the cheapest. Still, that will run you ~$1000+. It basically goes up from there. Shikoku-inus will run you a couple thousand. And, if you’re planning to import from Japan be prepared to pay an extra $1000+ to get them shipped. Even if you do it yourself via the airline it’s a few hundred dollars, and there are many hoops around this you’ll have to jump through.

So, basically it’s really hard to import. It’s also hard to find many of these breeds in your own country. It’s not impossible, but if you want a Japanese dog be prepared to spend a lot of money and run into a lot of obstacles.

Any of you have native Japanese breed dogs? I’m guessing it’ll be Shibas and Akitas all around, but would be really interested to hear if anyone has any of the other types of dogs out there. Please don’t tell me you have a Japanese Chin, though. Please, for the love of all that is good and holy please…

P.S. Did you notice the “inu” and “ken” thing after each dog’s name? They’re both readings of the kanji for dog: 犬. The kun’yomi reading is いぬ (inu), and the on’yomi reading is けん (ken). Sometimes they can be switched and that’s okay, so you’ll see DOG+ken and DOG+inu a lot. Just know that if you see either it probably has to do with dogs, not Ken dolls.

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Without further ado, I present to you Japan’s most noteworthy dogs!

Hachiko the Loyal

Of course, no list of notable Japanese dogs would be complete without Hachiko!

Hachi was an akita-inu (秋田犬) born in Oodate in 1923. He had a bit of a rough start in life – as a puppy, he endured a 20-hour train journey to Tokyo, where he then joined the Ueno household.

Prof Ueno was a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, and he would commute there from Shibuya Station. Although he already had two other dogs, John and S, only Hachi bonded with him strongly enough to develop the habit of seeing him off every morning, and greeting him every evening, at the station.

When Prof Ueno passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1925, Hachi was so distraught he did not eat for three days. Then, the house was sold and Hachi was given to new owners, but he kept escaping – back to the old Ueno house, and back to Shibuya Station to continue waiting for the professor. He would wait for almost 10 years, before finally succumbing to cancer and a worm infection in 1935.

Hachi’s trademark droopy ear was actually due to a skin condition. He became very popular after his story appeared in Asahi Shimbun – this was also when he started being called “Hachiko.”

By this point, of course, his loyalty had become legendary. In fact, he had become so popular that he, together with about 300 other attendees, was at the unveiling of his bronze statue at Shibuya Station the previous year. Actually, reminders of Hachiko are practically everywhere: his stuffed body is displayed at the National Science Museum in Ueno, there’s a yearly memorial service at Shibuya Station, manhole covers, murals… there’s even the Hachiko Bus!

Of course, you haven’t really made it unless someone makes a movie about your life, and Hachiko has got things covered on this point too. The movie Hachiko Monogatari (ハチ公物語, “Story of Hachiko”) was released in 1987, and the Hollywood version starring Richard Gere, “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” came out in 2009. Tissues not included.

Taro and Jiro, the Survivors

Taro and Jiro were brothers that were born in Wakkanai, the northernmost city of Hokkaido, and are karafuto-ken (樺太犬) – a breed that is now effectively extinct.

Taro was a hardworking goofball, and Jiro was a highly-strung, spoilt child. There was also a third brother, Saburo, but he fell ill and died during training.

Taro and Jiro were among the sled dogs used when the Japanese began to explore Antarctica in the 1950s. These dogs were left chained at Showa base by the first team, who believed that the second team would arrive just a few days later on the icebreaker Souya (宗谷). But thick ice and horrific weather meant that they never got there, much to the first team’s horror – who then faced widespread criticism for leaving the dogs behind.

It was not until almost a year later, in 1959, before a third team arrived at the unmanned Showa base – and received a happy, slobbery greeting from Taro and Jiro. The other dogs were either still chained and frozen to death, or had wriggled free like Taro and Jiro, but had gone missing.

The brothers’ miraculous survival moved the nation and was, of course, perfect movie fodder: Nankyoku Monogatari (南極物語, “South Pole Story”) was released in 1983, and the Disney version, “Eight Below,” was released in 2006. There’s also the drama Nankyoku Tairiku (南極大陸, “Antarctica”), which aired last year.

Unfortunately, Jiro survived only to die on another expedition in 1960, and was stuffed and put on display at the National Science Museum in Ueno (he’s now BFFs with Hachiko). Taro managed to tough it out until he retired, and then spent the rest of his days at Hokkaido University – where he is also now stuffed and on display. (Hmm… I sense a theme here…)

If taxidermy isn’t your thing, there are bronze statues of the dogs in Nagoya, as well as at the base of Tokyo Tower. Taro and Jiro also feature on the 500-yen coin that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Showa base.

Gon the Guide

Unlike Hachiko, and Taro and Jiro, Gon’s origins are unknown. He was a half kishu-ken (記州犬), half shiba-inu (柴犬) stray that appeared near Kudoyama Station around 1985. Then, for shits and giggles, I guess, he started escorting people from the station to the the nearby Jisonin (慈尊院), the Buddhist temple that marks the start of the pilgrimage route to Mt Kouya (高野山, kouyasan).

By 1989, Gon had been so named because he loved the sound of Jisonin’s gong. He had also made himself comfortable at the temple itself, and had begun to guide pilgrims along the 24km long route between the temple and Daimon (大門), the main gate at the summit of Mt Kouya. He would do this everyday, only returning to the temple at dusk.

I think Gon looked a bit derpier than his statue would have you believe. Also, if you’re looking for a nice souvenir, the temple sells Gon o-mamori (お守り)!

Of course, declining health and increasing age caught up with him eventually, and he died in 2002. He was given a funeral service, and because he was also believed to be a reincarnation of the Great Teacher’s dog that lived 1200 years ago, a statue of him was erected on the temple’s grounds.

Heart-kun the Adorable

What’s that? Since when has cuteness been noteworthy, you ask? Hey, I am a lover of small furry creatures, so humor me (please).

Heart-kun is a long-haired Chihuahua with a heart-shaped pattern on his coat, whose cuteness exploded over the internets not too long ago. He’s now the de facto mascot of Pucchin Dogs, which is run by twin sisters that specialize in the breeding of small, indoor dogs.

Don’t let their cuteness fool you. Behind the scenes there is nothing but intense competition, for there can be only one! Or something like that.

However, Heart-kun is no longer the only doggie in town. Since his birth in 2007, Love-chan and Ai-chan have burst onto the scene – they too have heart-shaped patterns, plus they are younger and smaller, and therefore… cuter (there, I said it! Ugh).

Only time will tell, but already I feel an impending showdown…

So, are you a cat person or a dog person? Is there a notable Japanese dog I missed? Let us know in the comments!

Header image by Hanafan

When it comes to World War 2, there were a lot of funny things going on with Japanese Americans. Land and property were stolen from Japanese Americans, they were put into internment camps (though, not the 157,000 Japanese Americans in Hawaii, including my great great grandmother, who was sending aluminum to Japan to make bombs before the America-Japan conflict started), and now, apparently, there were dogs being trained to sniff out Japanese people. Ironically, they were being trained on Cat Island, a crappy little island just south of Mississippi (and a part of Mississippi too).

Dogs And World War Two

When the US entered the War, it started taking dog donations from civilians. Dogs were used to be sentries, to detect and sniff out mines, and so much more. There was, however, a much more secret dog training mission taking place on Cat Island, where William Prestre (Swiss Refuguee) said he could train dogs to target people of Japanese ancestry based off their smell. According to Prestre, he could train 30,000 dogs that would be released on the beaches of Japanese islands and Zerg rush their inhabitants. Greyhounds would streak across beaches to take out machine gunners (since they’re so speedy), then slower but more terrifying dogs (like Great Danes and Wolfhounds) would wipe the floor with everyone else. Obviously, none of this happened. Thank goodness for the dogs, anyways.

Getting To Cat Island

Cat Island is a little island off of Mississippi that had similar weather and temperature to the Pacific Islands. Apparently, it was also really sulfury, barren, full of alligators and mosquitoes, and a big pain all around. Around 25 people of Japanese ancestry (who were in the U.S. Army) were notified that they would be going on a super secret mission, so secret they couldn’t even tell their friends they were going on it. One of these people, Ray Nosaka, says:

So that morning, they said, “Don’t say anything to your own buddies and don’t goodbye, don’t say anything.” Seven o’clock, we rode the big truck and took us to Wheeler Field [Fort Williams]. And all of us went on a plane.They didn’t tell us where we’re going to go, what we’re going to do.

They got on their plane, stopped off in Tennessee (where they couldn’t get off the plane, because the higher ups didn’t want anyone to see them), then flew to Mississippi where they boarded some coast guard ships which took them to another island near Cat Island called “Ship Island” (seriously, someone should have been commissioned to come up with better island names). At Ship Island, they waited for a while, fished, and didn’t do much. Then, after two weeks, their Major came and told them they would be “training dogs” on  Cat Island. I suppose that’s where the fun starts.

Every day, they’d go by boat from Ship Island to Cat Island, help train the dogs for four hours, then go back home to Ship Island. Besides being attacked by dogs all the time, that’s a pretty sweet gig. Hang out on a tropical island, work 4 hours a day, and drink tons of beer because the water tasted terrible.

We only worked half a day. Half a day, you go back to Ship Island. You go fishing, play guitar and sing a song, things like that, drinking beer. Half a day you work, half a day you’re off. So the hours are very good. That’s why all of us was catching fish. So many fish over there. And now ducks come, shoot the ducks like that. So the life after the four hours we worked is very good.

In fact, at one time we ran out of beer because we cannot drink the water. That thing is so – like rotten eggs. The thing is sulfur, so we cannot drink the water, so we drink up the beer. And, you know, the beer. The thing gone in one week. All gone because we cannot drink the water, we just drink that beer.

So, that begs the question. What were all the secret things they did while they were on the clock, over in Cat Island?

How They (Tried) To Train Dogs To Hunt The Japanese

There were a couple of steps involved in order to try and train dogs to take down Japanese people. The first step was training them to go up to the right people, the second was to learn how to attack, and the third was to play hide and seek.

In the first step, the Japanese Americans would stand there, and the dogs would go up to them. When the dogs went up to them, they’d give the dog some meat and fire a pistol into the air. They did this over and over for four months. I’m guessing the dogs just got good at finding people who had meat on them… yum.

The second step wasn’t as pleasant, unfortunately for the dogs (and the humans involved, too).

And they told us they put a guard over here and we stay like this. And then when the sergeant tell him, “Kill ‘em,” the dog come right up and bite us here, see.  And then finally, the dog got a little more friendly with us. They tied the dog on the fence and they gave me like a whip to hit the dog. I go like this.

Oh, I feel so bad. That’s why I hit like this. I get scolding, tell, “Hit it hard, some more hit” until the thing bleed. That’s why the dog gets mad with you. And they tell ‘em, “Kill him.” I’m like this and, whoa, he bite me all over the place. So I hit the dog until he bled, see. Then he tell me, “Okay, walk ten yards back, turn around and go this way.” The dog was so mad at me because I hit him. Ho, he bite me, bite me like this. And then the sergeant comes, takes him away. And that’s the attack dog.

Lastly, they played hide and seek. They’d go someplace, wait for the dog to come find them, then wait for the dog to go away, then go hide somewhere else. They did all this while batting mosquitoes and avoiding alligators. At least it was only a four hour work day, I guess.

What Happened?

I think you know – the dogs couldn’t tell the difference between Japanese people and other people, and since they were mostly donated dogs from loving families, they’d often just lose interest and become friendly. Our Swiss dog training friend Prestre was fired in Feburary 1943 after a couple of dog shows for the big boys, and the island was converted over to a more traditional dog training island (i.e. no more sniffing out the blood of Japanese people). This went on for a while, but then was eventually closed down in July, 1944 after training approximately 400 dogs.

If you want to read more about Cat Island’s crazy dog training programs, you can read Ray Nosaka’s (one of the 25 Japanese Americans on Cat Island) interview, with the Cat Island parts here and here.

P.S. If you like dogs, you should follow Tofugu on Twitter, Here.

P.P.S. If you like cats, you should subscribe to the Tofugu Newsletter, Here.

Dog trainers of Cat Island

Ship Island is where they’d stay in between trips to Cat Island

Image of Cat Island

Want to read about a more pleasant “Cat Island?” Here’s an island in Japan, populated by cats.