Procedures for Dog Ownership

As a precaution against rabies, all dog owners must register their dogs and arrange for their dogs to receive rabies vaccinations. Additionally, should an owner's address change after registration, or should the death of a registered dog occur, the owner must provide appropriate notification.

1. All dogs over 91 days old must be registered.
2. To register, you must provide certification that your dog has received a rabies vaccination. (Certificates will be issued at your local veterinary clinic after vaccination.)
3. Your dog must continue to receive vaccinations every year, which you must also report.

* If your dog is vaccinated at the group rabies vaccinations held at several city locations around April every year, it will be registered at that time.

Required Documents

1. A Registration Application Form for your dog
2. Rabies vaccination certificate (will be issued by veterinarian performing vaccination at veterinary clinic. etc.)
3. Handling fee: 3,550 yen (3,000 yen registration fee, 550 yen rabies vaccination tag issuing fee)

* After registering, a license/rabies vaccination tag will be issued for your dog. Please attach tag to the registered dog's collar, and be sure not to lose.

Registered dogs must apply every year for a renewed rabies vaccination tag. Required Documents

1. Postcard sent from Ichikawa City Hall (re-registration form).
2. Rabies vaccination certificate.
3. Rabies vaccination tag issuing fee: 550 yen.

* All dog owners should vaccinate their dogs between April 1 and June 30 whenever possible.

Rabies is an infectious disease that can be contracted by all mammals. There is no available treatment, and all cases of infection in humans are fatal. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal entering into the human bloodstream. Transmission to humans occurs most frequently from bites by animals such as dogs, and Japan has enforced rabies vaccinations since 1950, and required dog owners to be responsible for dog registration and vaccinations. As Japan is an island nation, it has less contact with foreign countries, and there have been no rabies reports since 1957. However, as contact with foreign countries increases to this day, there is always a chance of a rabies outbreak. The current vaccination requirement will serve to prevent circulation of the disease in the case of an outbreak.

It is stipulated by law that rabies vaccinations shall be the responsibility of dog owners, and that dog owners must register their dogs and receive official tags, and must vaccinate their dogs on a yearly basis and receive renewed vaccination certification tags. Failure to register or vaccinate your dog will result in criminal punishment, including but not necessary limited to fines up to 200,000 yen (Article 27, Numbers 1 and 2).