picture of the day

Tight leash

79 Comments

A child watches as a woman tends to her dogs in Ginza.

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One is walking her dog and the other is walking his kid. Ah, our pets always need excercise :p.

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It is so humiliating to put your kid on a leash. sad.

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Isn't Ginza the most expensive and fashionable street in Japan? The dogs are the only fashionable ones in the picture.

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don't see anything "humiliating" there, on the contrary I see great responsibility on the part of "dad" giving the kid some freedom, but keeping the kid from being able to run wild.

the dogs on the other hand... looking for that tree.

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are those dogs? thought they were rats. tokyo rats are huge.

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wonder which one can do cooler tricks?

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hereandthere, agree. i have 2 kids and sometimes wish I had a leash for them. for their safety.

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Ahh I love reading the posts on JT.

Wear the leash and the parent is condemned for humiliating the child.

Don't wear the leash and the parent is condemned for not taking into consideration the child's safety on a busy street in downtown Tokyo.

Japanese parents can never do anything right, can they?

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A dog and a child and the child is on the leash.

To quote Bart Simpson: "The ironing is delicious."

LoveUSA,

About those leashes...my son dangled over a ledge by one at the Portland Zoo. He took 2 steps and was gone. Two. Had he not had that leash on, he was looking a pretty big fall. I know a lot of parents that have had similar experiences.

Please don't knock the leash until you have raised a VERY active boy. Your opinion may change.

Taka

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Taka 313, criminals should be only on a leash. Not kids or any normal person. What is next, handcuffs and a whip? Hoewever active the boy is, nobody deserves that.

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What is wrong with this picture? The kid is chained and the dogs (I use the term loosely - Chihuahuas) are running free pooping everywhere.

Indeed, the parent of the child should be commended for having the kid restrained. We have all heard those stories of little kids walking down the street and being hit by cars.

With regard to the woman and the "dogs," what can one say about Chihuahuas. Rats gone wrong? A breed from the shallowest end of the canine gene pool. Air gun targets. Actually despite their small size, Chihuahuas have a rather viscous streak. As can be seen by the stare of one of the dogs.

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About those leashes...my son dangled over a ledge by one at the Portland Zoo. He took 2 steps and was gone.

Good thing they weren't biting that day.

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In my opinion, there's nothing "humiliating" or "sad" about using a leash to help keep your kid out of danger.

I heard how this is supposed to be "inhumane" quite a bit in the US. Where did this kind of thinking coming from?

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I have two boys and on crowded Tokyo streets the leash could of saved me many a headache. That said, it would've been a much nicer pic if the Dad was holding the child's hand and pointing out to him the virtue of cleaning up after your animals.

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I fully agree with Taka and Speed. There is nothing in the least humiliating or sad about using a lead to keep a child safe. On the other hand, it is humiliating and potentially tragic to race about looking for a toddler who has wandered off in the split-second the parent wasn't watching. I have raised a very active boy, and an even more active girl, and I used a lead and harness with both of them. Holding hands is fine, but it restricts the movement of both the parent and the child, and it is all too easy for a tiny hand to slip away when the attention is distracted elsewhere for a second. And when you've got two small kids and the shopping, it's impossible.

When/if I ever become a granny, my first gift to the new generation will be a harness and lead.

I'm not sure that the dogs are 'running free' - those cute little coats look like they probably have leads attached, and the lady is keeping them on a short rein while she picks up. Good on her for picking up of course, but it would have been better if she trained the dogs to make a 'last call' before they leave the house so that there would be no need to pick up outside. It makes walkies much more pleasant and keeps the streets cleaner.

The one potential problem I do see in this picture is that Dad doesn't seem to be telling junior that it's not a good idea to approach an unknown dog without first getting the owner's permission. Just because a dog's little and cute doesn't mean it's friendly; and dogs don't need the hassle of being manhandled by strangers in the street.

As for chihuahuas - I think the bad rap they get is undeserved. Tiny they may be, but they're all dog. It's not their fault if they tend to attract the kind of soppy owner who puts them in dresses and pushes them around in a doggie-pram (there's one behind the lady there) instead of letting them be dogs. No wonder they get snappy. I would, too.

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Seeing how the dad is waiting too, I would think maybe the woman are with them so the kid knows the dog already.

I don't like the leash, I find that humiliating too but I understand its usage. To me, a kid in the street, with the parents around shouldn't need to run around but if some parents feel like it, why not, and the leash is then a good idea.

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To me, a kid in the street, with the parents around shouldn't need to run around

lol and how many children do you have?

The child seems to be showing too much interest in the dogs for them to be together. It's possible of course, but I doubt it.

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The leash is a great idea. People whine about parents letting their kids run around on every child drowns/gets run over by car story, then they whine again when the parent actually does something to keep their child safe.

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I wonder which gets more money spent on it, the child or the dog.

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@LoveUSA The leash for children isn't humiliating, its a great way to take care of your child until they're old enough to not go running off on their own when you say the words "Come here". Think about seeing parents having to chase down their children that are running around randomly and I'm pretty sure you'll get the gist of it.

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He must be using the leash only when necessary... not even when the child is admiring things, poor child. lazy dad

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It was 1984 when I was studing in The United States (Texas A&M University), when I saw for the first time, a mother walking in a Mall, using a leash to keep her son safety. Now we are in 2009. There’s nothing new, or wrong with that.. And as the commentary from: papasmurfinjapan: “Japanese parents can never do anything right, can they?”, You know, Many people think the same everywhere!, not only in Japan. We can not expect everybody agree with us. Mexico!

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a kid on a leash... nice

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I think kids on leashes ought to be granted the right to pee & poop on the street just like every other animal on a leash.

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I like the picture!

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Child at that age usually really curious, spontaneous and can run fast enough. The most common normal way perhaps is to hold their hand is possible.

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Some kids need to be on leashes.

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maybe the first word he would or have spoken is wan! wan! wan!

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good to see a parent, Dad no less, taking steps to keep their child safe and close at hand. Remember the two year old run over at a crossing trailing behind her mother about two weeks ago and the slagging the Mum got from JT readers/ Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I agree with Cleo et al.

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Ugh old women and their dogs..."grumble"

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It is so humiliating to put your kid on a leash. sad.

I don't think so at all. The child is learning valuable motor skills for urban living while not being able to run away, injure himself, cause a traffic accident or get kidnapped.

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Hmm.. kinda weird. You put your child a leash and carry the dog like a baby. HAhaha

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@hariharancse, it is necessary, they're just beside the road!!

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Every time I see a kid on a leash I always think of the Simpsons episode where Homer's brother, Herb, invented the baby talk translator. "This leash demeans us both."

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I prefer to hold my toddlers hand. At times he does not like it but I can reason with him because he is intelligent.

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Sidwarwick

I wonder which gets more money spent on it, the child or the dog.

I don't. You probably know that laws against animal abuse are older than those for child abuse. Seeing small useless dogs being treated better than humans twists something up inside of me.

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Hey Papa...if she ain't gonna eat that Tootsie Roll I want it!

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That is a really cute picture! I love the curiousity of young ones.

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Ironic isn't it?

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Anyone notice what's the problem here, child is on the leash, dog is in the carriage.

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Lashes are not popular in Japan. Actually I got one from US present from someone but never really used it. Still remember how frustrated my wife was when she had to chase our very active kids.

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Just one more thing! Leash for the kid is much better than holding it for the hand. There are many cases of twisted and even displaced arm from the shoulder. They are so crisp at this age and giving them free hands is a good thing.

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Putting your little curious boy on a leash when its a busy road is one thing. But this is Ginza on Sunday, the road is closed to cars! And that fact, plus Daddy pulling the leash instead of talking is not the right way I think.

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LoveUSA - What is next, handcuffs and a whip?

Umm, ok then... Maybe best to leave your subconscious out of this.

We used a leash for a short while with the kid, from when he learned to run, till he learned to stay on the pavement, avoid bikes etc. Maybe a couple of months or so. He point-blank refused to have his hand held when walking so we found it really useful. A leash gives him more freedom than holding hands anyway while still keeping him safe.

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You probably know that laws against animal abuse are older than those for child abuse.

Not in Japan, they're not. The Child Abuse Prevention and Child Relief Act was passed in 1933. The Law Concerning the Protection and Control of Animals was passed in 1973.

Seeing small useless dogs being treated better than humans twists something up inside of me.

Sorry to hear that you're twisted inside. But companion dogs are far from 'useless', and what exactly in this picture makes you think the dogs are being treated better than the people?

People caring for other living creatures, human or non-human, is surely a plus.

Putting your little curious boy on a leash when its a busy road is one thing. But this is Ginza on Sunday, the road is closed to cars!

And cars are the only danger? I've had a kiddie slip his hand out of mine and disappear into a crowded shop, finally found him three floors up screaming blue murder because he'd lost mummy. There is nothing wrong with using a harness and lead to keep a child safe.

Now if it were a collar and lead, I'd be a bit more receptive to all these outraged claims of humiliation and child abuse.

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Seawolf -- Daddy is NOT pulling the leash. To me, it looks like he's using the leash just for the safety of the child, and I don't see what's wrong with it. Little kids (age 1,2, and maybe 3) don't always like to hold hands and they want freedom, so while giving the child some freedom and also making sure the child don't run to a car, bike and etc, is a great responsibility, and to me, this daddy is doing a great job. See he's waiting while the curious child is looking at the dog ? he's not pulling the leash.

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cleo: you obviously don't live in Japan and see how dogs are treated here, they are pushed around in doggy carriages, wear clothes and treated like royalty. Not saying kids are treated any different but dogs here are treated on par with children.

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There is nothing wrong with a child that small being on a harness. And it is nothing new. First time I saw that was in the late 70s in North America. In fact, it was our neighbor's kid on a harness but tied so she could play and her mother, being a stay-at-home mom, had heaps of work to do and no one else to watch her child every second. She wanted her child to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, so instead of forcing her child to be cooped up inside waiting for her, let her enjoy the fresh air and sunshine until Mom could come out and play too. I also thought at first that it was pretty weird until my mother explained she had done the same thing with me at that age!

So, it is definitely not new. And good on the parents for keeping their kids safe from cars, strangers, getting lost, etc., etc.! Not a thing at all humiliating about being a good parent and putting your child's welfare first!

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P.S. How do we know the father had not said anything to his child? Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that a photo we are looking at and not a video???

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The first time I saw a child on a leash was on an international flight and guess what, the mother was Japanese and was walking her kid down the aisle on a leash. All the people on the plane watched in disbelief. So I think it is not so popular, if so many people were shocked.

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Well...I am thinking maayyyybe, on a plane, the leash might not be so necessary, but then again, I haven't had kids yet nor do I have any idea what that kid was like. Might have been necessary! lol

As for being "popular", perhaps not...but they certainly are not unheard of and certainly not a new concept. As for being shocked, I can understand that if people had not seen one before, but again, there would certainly be more than mere raised eyebrows if people were witness to or reading about yet another child that got away from its parents and fell off a balcony, got hit by a car, etc. Those little rugrats can move! lol

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The woman was picking up her dog's crap. Good for her. The father had his kid on the leash to prevent him from patting the dog's dirty butt.

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cleo: you obviously don't live in Japan

Oh dear. I thought gogogo must be a newbie here, but he has over a hundred pages of posting history. Maybe he just doesn't pay attention.

I've lived in Japan the past 30-odd years, and I know exactly how dogs are treated here. It's a lot better in the past ten years or so than it was before that. Nowadays you see fewer dogs tied up outside 24/7 (though there are still far too many) and fewer dogs expected to survive on a diet of leftover rice and misoshiru. If it's a choice between tying a malnourished dog up outside in all weathers or treating it 'like royalty', then as far as I'm concerned there's no choice.

I like to think I treat my own dogs 'like royalty'. Nowt wrong with it. I'd be disgusted with myself if I didn't.

As for when did leashes for kids first come on the scene, they're not new at all. I have a picture of myself aged about 2 wearing a pretty harness and lead back in the UK many many many years ago. When my own kids were little I had to get family back home to send a harness out to me, they were nowhere to be found in Japan. The first time she saw it my MIL was shocked, came out with the whole 'it's humiliating you're treating them like animals' stuff we've got on this thread, but after a couple of attempts to watch two kids in a crowded street, she decided they were a very Good Thing.

Glad to see they're catching on in Japan at last.

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I walked past there today to see if he was still performing, must be only on weekends.

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My brother had to be put on a leash. Why? He ran off anytime we went to a store. I remember him getting lost so many times and my parents finally said "This is enough." Mom and dad can't hold their hand all the time and when you go into a store, particularly a clothes store with racks, kids like to jump into the racks and then get lost.

Leashes for kids are great and keeps them in mom and dad's reach. I know kids have a natural curiosity that should be nurtured, but nurtured in a safe place, not in the middle of a shopping center where they can get lost, abducted, or hurt.

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Dogs in place of kids... and given the same value. Nothin' new under that sun.

Sad.

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For all of the people carping about the kid on a leash, do you have children? The leash can be a life saver as small children tend to wander and sometimes in the blink of an eye.

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Dogs in place of kids... and given the same value. Nothin' new under that sun. Sad.

What's sad is that some people apparently can't grasp the idea that it doesn't have to be kids or dogs; it can be kids and dogs. In fact it should be kids and dogs. Every child should have a dog to grow up with, it teaches the kid empathy and the ability to care for others, and gives them a partner who is their unconditional Best Friend. The lady in the picture looks like she's already finished her stint at child-raising. What business is it of anyone else if she decides to spend time and money on what interests her, which happens to be her dogs? No one seems to complain when other folk spend just as much time and money on other interests, like fast cars, foreign holidays, designer clothes or building up a music collection. Why all the aggro against dogs? They're supposed to be yer best friend!

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I don't have a problem with leashes on kids up to the age of nine years old or thereabouts.

One of those electical devices on the throat that keeps them from bein' heard ain't a bad idea either.

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Funny photo. I am impressed with the cleanliness of the streets. Toddlers on leashes are much safer than toddlers running free. I am not a dog lover but I am happy to see the woman cleaning up the mess. I see many people in my neighborhood walking their doggies carrying little bags of doggie doo. Now if only the cigarette smokers would clean up their act.

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Oops forgot a couple of comments. The spitters need to stop spitting and the gum chewers should dispose of their gum properly. The street pictured looks good.

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I had a "baby" on a leash before! His name was Rex and he was The Worlds Best Rottie! As far as human kids on leashes. Meh, lots of parents these days raise their kids to be animals. Why not treat em like one?

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You guys and yer child abuse cries...get firken real. He's a Dad takin his kid fer a walk. That's all.

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Feekalmatter, I'm with you.

And as long as they trail behind 'em pickin' up their droppin's in those recyclable plastic bags, I have no problem with that either.

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What I'd like to see are leashed dogs watching a child receiving attention on that testimony to vanity and greed, Ginza.

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Not a very exciting pic.

Shouldn't the title read, "A man watches his child watching a woman being watched by her chihuahuas as she picks up their doggie doo in Ginza"?

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I can understand the usefulness of a leash to keep a little child safe, but whenever I see a human on a leash that Abu-Grahib picture of the female soldier with a prisoner on a leash comes instantly to mind. I think the inhumanity of that photo traumatized me to the point that I would rather not put anyone on a leash, let alone my child (if I ever have one).

My mother raised four kids and I was never put on a leash. I was raised in a bustling capital city. I must ask my mother how did she manage.

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Little kids sometimes don't like to hold hands and this is probably safer for the kid. Of cousre, it looks funny.

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I always carry water bottle to wash the dog pee on the street. Because when it doesn't rain for days, the street starts to smell (lots of dog lovers on my street).

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For those crying "child abuse", just looking at the effing picture!

The little guy is able to walk around on his own, strengthening his little legs the way nature intended, and explore his world. But he's unable to get too close to the dogs and stick his fingers out to get nibbled because Otoosan has a firm grip on the lead.

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Leashes are actually a lot safer than just letting a kid wander around. Yeah, it looks really funny because you have a kid in a halter, on a leash, but at least you know where he is and you can pull him away from any sort of potential danger. It is especially helpful when it comes to large crowds, where you could easily loose your kid, or, even worse, your kid gets taken.

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Walking the kid on a leash??? Never seen that before. . .

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If there's no leash on the kid and he runs off onto the road and get hit by a car, you would all be howling for the dad's blood.

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Gotta go with a leash. Anyone with - or who has had - toddlers KNOWS how they can be off in a second - into dangerous situations, traffic etc. The leash/restraint/tether/ harness (whatever...) may not appeal to all, but given the howl-downs that have been seen recently on these pages about Japanese parents NOT supervising their children while on the streets makes some of these comments quite ridiculous. The example seen in the picture is an example of good parenting, seeing the circumstances. Let's also hope he straps his child firmly into a childseat when they're out driving

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The streets are very clean! Subways in Japan are clean as well. It seems that people in Japan go the extra mile to throw their garbage away, and they even have baggies to put their cigarrette butts in. Another reason why Japan amazes me so much!

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TokyoJake at 06:55 AM JST - 29th July The streets are very clean! Subways in Japan are clean as well. It seems that people in Japan go the extra mile to throw their garbage away, and they even have baggies to put their cigarrette butts in. Another reason why Japan amazes me so much!

Well said, compared to the United States Japan is very clean. The people are not rude and when you go shopping you are treated outstanding.

I love the following comments;

LoveUSA at 08:01 AM JST - 28th July It is so humiliating to put your kid on a leash. sad.

Pssst I do not think the Baby knows what humiliating is yet. Love the Psychobabble.

LoveUSA at 09:21 AM JST - 28th July Taka 313, criminals should be only on a leash. Not kids or any normal person. What is next, handcuffs and a whip? Hoewever active the boy is, nobody deserves that.

Trying to make a point at whatever price is not right. Those leashes really do work and they are nothing new. Saw many parents using them in the States and no one was yelling bloody murder.

But when a person from another country uses them, then it is wrong?

LoveUSA at 05:30 PM JST - 28th July The first time I saw a child on a leash was on an international flight and guess what, the mother was Japanese and was walking her kid down the aisle on a leash. All the people on the plane watched in disbelief. So I think it is not so popular, if so many people were shocked.

Where do you live? I have seen those leashes in Charleston SC, NY NY, Miami FL, Jacksonville FL, Chicago IL, Mecca WI and just about every other place that I lived or traveled to in the States. Hell the first time I saw one of those was about 1988. They are not new and they are not just used by the Japanese.

Every where that I went not one person near or next to the parent gave it a second look. Some laughed other thought it was cute. Even heard many mothers asking where they can buy the leash at.

I think that Japanese parents are very good and loving parents overall. They treat most of their kids with respect and kindness.

Compare that to the States and you would be surprised to find that the Japanese kids are treated better than the American kids.

Here is a site for you to look at,

http://www.safeandsecurebaby.com/Harness-frasl-Leashes-c-10.html

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Ahhh the joys of Ginza's Hokousha Tengoku...

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I think some people want to see only the bad in japan. I see a nice afternoon in Ginza, a man walking with his child, he's giving his child space to explore and at the same time, protecting him from harm. I see a woman out on an afternoon stroll with her dogs, she's obeying the laws and cleaning up after them. I see people walking down the street, shopping, talking, seeing the sights, have a wonderful time on a nice summer day.

it's sad that a nice scene like that has to be bashed by people who only want to see the negative.

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My mother sent me one in 1985. They originated in the US.

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