Japan: Bark-In

A pack of yippies unleashed a waggish demonstration in Tokyo last week. Howling for an increase in government-regulated imports of dog food, an estimated 1,500 dogs paraded, more or less under their owners’ control, through central Tokyo to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Both owners and owned carried signs growling slogans such as: “Miserable Dogs” and “Fellow Doggies, Let’s Bite Off More Allocations.”

The ministry was under attack because of the increasing demand for imported dog food. Japanese dog food is more expensive, and is largely made of fish, thus likely to cause acute cases of canine halitosis. Over the past several years, pet owners have turned more and more to cheaper brands from abroad —and the demand has outgrown the government-regulated supply. If the ministry fails to respond, the dogs may well go to the country’s leaders once again.