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It is hard to think of Japan as an Asian country. Anyone coming from the West would feel immediately at home. There is a well-maintained infra-structure of roads and railways, nearly everyone has (what looks like) a new car, people dress well, many in clothes brought from western fashion houses with expensive accessories. The shops are piled high in luxury goods and you can get anything you want, for a price. It is rare to see poverty or poor people, though they do exist, living in tents in city parks or in slum areas where ordinary Japanese never go. Visitors to Japan, who seldom stray beyond the tourist routes due to language barriers are overwhelmed by the efficiency, the friendliness and kindness of Japan's people and the safety and cleanliness of its cities. Despite the current recession, the country looks affluent in every aspect.
But scratch a little below the surface and you'll find the Asian side of Japan. Despite their outward western appearance, the Japanese think and act very differently to the way we do. This is particularly true in their dealings with animals. There is no real focus of cruelty to animals in Japan, such as we find in the dog meat markets in South Korea and the Phillippines, or in the bears kept for bile on farms in China or the illegal trade of exotic species in Indonesia. Foreigners coming to Japan for a short time may not see any cruelty at all. Indeed if they stay around Tokyo, they would probably only see pure-bred pampered pooches, dressed up and walking along fashionable streets and therefore conclude that Japanese love their pets and take care of them the same as we do.
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