Dogs On the Brain, Tokyo-style

You know you're in Japan when you can buy a kimono and a geisha wig for your dog in the local pet boutique. Wow.

Chris and I were in Japan for 10 days over Thanksgiving, and we stumbled on this crazy shop in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, a block away from our hotel and down the street from a very old, revered temple. I was keen to buy the wig for Arthur (he'd make such an elegant courtesan), but there were only small sizes available, and Chris gave me his don't-do-it look where he stares at the ground and shakes his head disparagingly. (He's Arthur's advocate for dignity.) So, no geisha.

shop for your dog,

then go pray in the temple

daruma!

I actually expected to see many stores in Tokyo like this one, stuffed to excess with wild and crazy things, but there were surprisingly few. Maybe I wasn't shopping in the right neighborhoods. I did like the selection of treats at the gigantic Tokyu Hands store in Shibuya, which is kind of like a Japanese version of Target multiplied by ten.

Great packaging, but what do the labels say? I have no idea.

If I didn't know better, I'd have eaten (almost) all of that stuff. There was even a tiny Belgian waffle! I ended up bringing Arthur home a bag of crunchy vanilla balls – a dog version of the snack I used to eat as a kid.

Deeelicious.