Japan isn’t having a lot of kids. In lieu of kids, more people are turning to pets. But the little critters are causing a nuisance at some Shinto shrines – leading more shrines to ask folks to keep their fur babies at home.
Japan has had something of a “pet boom” since the Showa era. The trend’s decreased a little in recent years; the number of dog owners is slightly down this year (by around 48,000) compared to last.
However, dogs remain popular – as does taking your faithful companion along with you on outings. Travel site Travel Voice says over 60% of people they surveyed want to take their dogs with them when they travel. (Only 19% of cat owners aid the same thing. Which, knowing cats, is totally understandable.)
That’s led to a boom in cafes and other locales that allow dog owners to bring their best friends. Some are also taking them to locations such as Shinto shrines to participate in rituals such as Hatsumode.
Some large shrines – notably Meiju Jingu in Tokyo’s Harajuku and Ise in Mie Prefecture – have forbidden animals for a while (seeing eye dogs are an exception). However, many shrines haven’t had an explicit prohibition against bringing doggoes on shrine grounds. That’s led visitors to practice a “better to seek forgiveness than ask permission” approach to pet visits.
However, in recent years, more shrines have instituted a strict “no pets” rule. Mitsumine Shrine in Saitama drew social media attention when it instituted a ban in 2019. Since then, Kirishima Jingu in Kagoshima Prefecture and Minase Jingu in Osaka have followed suit.
This year, Yaotomi Shrine in Aichi Prefecture followed suit. Yaotomi’s ban is notable because the island of Takeshima on which it sits is all regarded as shrine grounds – meaning that pets are forbidden from entering the island at all.
The reason for the ban? People being obnoxious with their dogs.
Shinto shrines are lovely, picturesque places that fit in seamlessly with their natural surroundings. Many of the shrines say they’ve received numerous complaints about pet owners causing issues by trying to get the perfect Instagram moment with the shrine’s natural beauty as a backdrop. People also complain that dog owners aren’t picking up their animal’s poop or dousing their urine with water (which is considered common courtesy in Japan).
Angry pet owners say their dogs are their family and that most pet owners are responsible. However, some shrine officials say that, given the complaints from other parishioners, they feel they have no choice.
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