Almost every retail shops started to close for Obon holidays from today except convenient shops. As many people went back to their home towns for celebrating Obon festivals together with their families, the traffic of vehicles in Tokyo has become light. Fewer people and lighter traffic changed the atmosphere of Tokyo to more like summer resorts.
On my morning walk, I happened to meet a few of people who were walking with big dogs this morning.
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First I met a small old lady with a big collie. The contrast of a small lady and a big dog generated some humors. I asked her permission for taking shots of her and dog, and she agreed immediately. But she handed me a dog rope and took my camera from me and she took two shots of me and her collie, She said her dog was 11 years old, As she grew up from her childhood with dogs, she has had much experience of training dogs. |
She made her dog free by disconnecting rope and asked me to take picture of her dog walking free on street without rope. But I could not take such a shot unfortunately because cars and motorbikes were coming.
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Then another big dog taken by a foreigner joined us, As two dogs are good friends, they exchanged good wills between them. Then a big lady came with a big dog. |
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She explained me what the parents of her dog were, but I could not memorize what she said.
There are many people around here who are walking with small dogs. But I can rarely see big dogs because it is very difficult to give enough exercises to these dogs. These three people whom I met this morning had vast knowledge and experiences for having such dogs. So I do not think there is any problem. It is said that the bigger the dog is, the more exercise is needed. People who own such big dogs have to find for space for their exercise or the other measures. At Hyde Park in London I saw many owners brought their dogs to the park and made them free running across on the big lawn garden. In Manhattan, New York, I saw many times dog sitters came out from luxurious apartment houses with a few big dogs. The people living in the center of Manhattan can keep dogs at their home with the help of professionals. Although to have dogs at home is becoming very popular in Tokyo, the social infrastructures for dogs such as space for their exercises or training schools of professionals who help owners have not been built up yet. The good environments not only for people but also for dogs are needed.
On my way back I dropped in a restaurant of a hotel and took a buffet breakfast. Although it was a little before six thirty, many families were already taking foods. I thought it might be a good choice to spend summer holidays at hotels in Tokyo where good air conditioning is available, by playing at swimming pools or at temporary game centers for children.
