These are the cutest and weirdest Japanese pet products

Pet Paradise is a popular and affordable store for cats and dogs, with a major location on Harajuku’s Takeshita-dori. There’s the usual pet stuff here, including leashes and collars, but you can also pick up Japan-specific merch like this happi coat, traditionally worn by humans at summer festivals, or this ladylike yukata for a classy lapdog. Larger pups will enjoy Japanese food- and drink-shaped toys, such as this ramen bowl or beer. For the felines, this kotatsu table-shaped cat bed, complete with decorative ‘snacks’, will make a cosy home in winter.

Locations in Harajuku, Shinjuku and throughout Japan.

Kitan Club, known for stocking gachapon capsule machines with quirky feline-themed products like figurines of a kitty stuck in a tissue box, are best known for these cat hats that are just ¥400 each. Every machine has a different theme; seasonal hats like Halloween pumpkins and Valentine’s Day hearts are especially popular, while the fruit and veggie hats are downright hilarious. Grab a few of these for your favourite feline back home – they definitely won’t thank you. 

Don’t be fooled – these are pet-friendly versions of classic Japanese snacks. Tamago bolo (pictured right), the soft egg biscuits popular with children, get the dog-friendly treatment in a selection of flavours including blueberry and veggie (pictured middle). Whole dried sardines, eyeballs and all, are a common snack in schoolyards and izakaya alike – and even cats and dogs enjoy the animal-friendly version (pictured left).

Available at Pet Paradise, most drugstores and other retailers.

Hedgehogs, locally known as harinezumi (needle mouse), are all the rage right now in Tokyo with copious hedgehog and other animal cafés. If all that café-hopping makes you miss your favourite hedgehog at home, spoil the little one with this Totoro house – it’s the perfect size for a hedgehog or chinchilla to curl up in. If your ‘hog is more active, take it out for a walk with this hedgehog-sized leash, complete with angel wings.

Available online.

This bird sento is a whole new twist on the classic bird bath. Your winged critter can enjoy a bath with this Kotori-yu, modeled after a traditional Japanese bathhouse. This sento is pure luxury: your pet bird will have a bath to itself along with a Mt Fuji mural, real porcelain tiles and itty bitty stools and buckets for a quick wash up before soaking. The bath can also fit other small animals like hamsters. From ¥2,980, available online from Felissimo You+More. 

Love a good old-fashioned cup noodle? Now your cat or toy dog can take a nap inside a larger-than-life bowl. Available in kitsune udon, soba, ramen and other junk foods like pudding cups and crip bags, these soft beds modeled off Japan’s favourite dishes will become your pet’s new sleeping zone. The bed even comes equipped with a top your pet can hide under. From ¥4,700, available at Don Quijote or Amazon Japan. 

You never know when an emergency might happen and it’s always good to be prepared. This backpack, more practical than adorable, comes equipped with a first aid kit, so you’re not scrambling around looking for supplies when an earthquake hits. The backpack is made out of flameproof, reflective material so you can easily spot your dog if it gets overwhelmed and runs away. The backpack straps under the stomach and around the chest, like a harness, and has a plastic opening to put contact information in. Part of the proceeds will go towards guide-dog training programmes across Japan.

From ¥14,300 for small dogs and ¥16,500 for big dogs. Available from Heiwakai Pet Memorials.