Friday 13th April 2007
Yes, we are packing all the trips in this week! Tim has to go back to work next week and as he's the one who does the "big" driving, we're making the most of it while we can. I'm happy to drive through the centre of Tokyo but not at all interested at venturing further afield. There are far too many ways to get lost and end up in a pickle. I'll do an entire post about driving in Japan one day.
We need to get some cat food so a trip to the Pet City megastore at Odaiba is on the cards. Odaiba is an area on the edge of Tokyo Bay and is inhabited by lots of shopping malls.
To get there we cross a huge suspension bridge called Rainbow Bridge. It doesn't look like a rainbow at all. But the railings lining the road are colourfully painted so I expect that's how it acquired its name. I sincerely hope its name doesn't come from the bridge that deceased pets are said to cross… Mind you, the final couple of paragraphs of this post might indicate just that.
Upon arrival we went for a walk along the sea front because it looked like it would rain soon and we wanted to walk before it arrived. The sky was ominously dark and the sun beaming under the clouds dramatically highlighted the Rainbow Bridge. Later on, Mum painted the memorable scene and gave the result to Tim for his birthday. Engineering lovers, the both of them! We made it into the mall just as the first giant raindrops splashed down.
I warned Mum to brace herself before entering the pet shop.
I don't believe I've mentioned Japanese pet shops before. For a Brit, they are quite frankly shocking and deeply depressing. Why? Because in Britain pet shops no longer sell pets. At least, they may have a few rodents, birds in cages and fish, but no kittens and puppies. And certainly no monkeys or marmosets. For that's what are sold here.
The poor baby creatures are housed in tiny tanks. Even birds are kept small glass tanks, rather than in cages where they can spread their wings. Puppies and kittens occupy tanks which line the sides of the store. All of them are far too young to have been taken from their mothers. It's truly heartbreaking. Their desperate eyes watching you and willing you to pay them some attention moved me to tears the first time I saw them. I had to leave the shop. Even now, although I have become hardened to the sight, I still find the whole experience deeply disturbing.
What is more upsetting is knowing that ONLY tiny puppies and kittens are sold. Prices are extremely high when the animals are very young, and the price drops as they get older. Once they reach a certain age, and are - in Japanese terms - less cute and desirable, they are moved to open "sale" pens where they can be petted a little more. This is your "last chance to buy". If they still remain unsold they will be sent to be gassed. Yes, this is what happens to so many animals here. Over 300,000 animals are gassed in painful and distressing conditions every year in Japan.
I will write more on this subject at a later date.
