"Right Dog" Exhibition

Finished

In Japan, it is mandatory for dog owners to register their dogs at the city office. This is regulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare under the Rabies Prevention Law. At the time of registration, a numbered metal plate is given to the owner to tag the dog with - sort of like a license plate for dogs.

However, not all dog owners are aware that the dog license plate is mandatory. Some hesitate to use the tag because it is too big for a small dog, or simply because they don't like the design. When a lost dog is found, the city office keeps the dog until the owner shows up to pick it up, but for dogs with no tags, a final decision about what to do with these animals has to be made after a certain period. The number of unclaimed dogs is sometimes as high as tens of thousands per year.

Starting with the fiscal year 2009 in Setagaya Ward, a new type of dog license plate will be used in order to raise awareness about these regulations among dog owners. Internationally renowned industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa joined the team to come up with a design that will contribute solving this problem.

Schedule

Sep 11 (Thu) 2008-Sep 24 (Wed) 2008