Japan has officially become the only country in the world where pets outnumber children, with approximately 20 million cats and dogs compared to just 17 million children under age 16, according to the Japan Pet Food Association.
This remarkable demographic shift reflects Japan's declining birth rate, which has reached record lows while busy lifestyles make pet ownership more appealing than parenthood for many Japanese families.
The pet population includes an estimated 9 million cats and 6.8 million dogs, creating a combined pet community that would rank as Japan's second-largest city if consolidated into one area.
However, this pet boom has a concerning dark side, with approximately 14,500 abandoned dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters across Japan in 2021, highlighting issues with impulse purchases and inadequate animal welfare protections.
Despite recent amendments to animal welfare laws in 2021, experts suggest that many pets are still treated as commodities rather than family members, revealing the immature and unstable nature of Japan's rapid embrace of pet culture.
