(JA) Tokyoites snarl at pet-friendly apartments

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http://www.mainichi.co.jp/english/news/news05.html

 

Saturday, March 24, 2001

 

Tokyoites snarl at pet-friendly apartments

Hiroshi Sawataishi

Mainichi Shimbun

 

A well-intentioned plan to open a public apartment complex in Tokyo, where

residents can benefit from the " healing effect " of living with their pets,

has hit a snag after locals complained that they cannot stand the " stress "

of dealing with pet-related problems, the Mainichi has learned.

 

The semigovernmental Urban Development Corp.'s (UDC) first ever

pet-owner-friendly complex is currently under construction in the Shiomi

district of Koto-ku. To serve the pet owners, the complex is equipped with a

special facility where residents can dispose of their pets' discharges, and

rooms' verandahs are designed to stop animals from straying outside.

 

The size of pets is restricted to those that can be carried by their owners.

 

 

However, when it was made public last month that tenants of the 145-room

complex, which is due to open in March 2002, will be allowed to live with

their pets, there was an uproar among locals.

 

Neighbors of the complex only learned about the fact through newspapers, and

protests were soon organized.

 

" I don't want to clean up doggy do " was one of the most commonly heard

complaints among locals, while some are concerned that irresponsible tenants

may abandon their pets in the area when moving to other places where keeping

pets is not allowed.

 

Sumika Matsuda and five others organized a petition to urge the UDC to give

a full explanation about the project to local residents, saying " The complex

may have a healing effect on the tenants but for neighbors it causes nothing

but stress. "

 

Some 650 locals signed the petition, which was handed over to UDC officials.

 

 

In a subsequently held briefing, UDC representatives explained to the six

that they are planning to hold a meeting of tenants to increase their

awareness about locals' concerns about pet feces.

 

However, the two sides failed to reach an agreement and the UDC promised to

hold more briefing sessions for local residents if necessary.

 

Tenants of Japanese apartments are traditionally not allowed to keep pets,

with the exception of small birds and tiny animals such as hamsters.

 

A recent government survey on some 3,000 adults, however, showed that nearly

60 percent were in favor of allowing tenants to keep a pet.

 

The demand for such pet-friendly places is increasing.

 

In Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, over 6,000 apartments or condominiums that

allow residents to keep pets were put on sale last year, roughly 10 times

the number in 1999, a private think-tank official said.

 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is also considering opening up some of its

public housing complexes to pet lovers.