TOKYO — Camera poised, Tomoaki Kasuga peers eagerly forward as Coco takes her first swimming lesson. When she successfully catches a tennis ball and swims toward him, Kasuga's nervous face melts into a broad smile.
Coco, a 6-month-old golden retriever, is among a surging number of dogs in Japan enjoying a lifestyle many humans could only envy -- weekend spa visits, pasta lunches at open-air cafes, designer clothing.
The boom, experts note, comes as the nation's birthrate keeps plunging and the number of Japanese kids continues to drop. According to pet industry figures, Japanese families have more than 19 million pet dogs or cats, exceeding the number of children under 15, which hit a new low of 17.8 million.
Kasuga, 48, a high-tech venture president who lives with his wife and mother, had brought his pet to Dog Petit Resort "Joker," which offers hot tubs, therapy pools and a beauty salon for dogs. "Coco-chan is our princess," he said. "Since she came to our house, our life has been revolving around her."
Enthused by hit TV commercials for a loan company featuring a doe-eyed chihuahua, Japanese last year bought more than 1.5 million dogs by industry count -- mostly chihuahuas, miniature dachshunds and other dogs small enough to into fit Japan's cramped homes.
Catering to the 11.1 million canines is a huge industry, estimated at more than $9 billion.
The fashion-conscious can walk their dogs with a Louis Vuitton leather leash and a neck cuff for a combined $540, or use a $1,730 carrying case. For those leaving their pets behind during business trips, dog hotels and dog-sitters are readily available.
For gourmet dogs, Internet shopping sites offer heat-and-serve creamy pasta with parmesan cheese, corn, green peas and pork, or orange-flavored herb chicken fillet. For dessert, dog bakeries prepare muffins and cookies, or cake topped with strawberries and cream.
Analysts say the boom reflects a changing attitude toward pets in the world's fastest-aging society where the birthrate is at its lowest ever -- 1.29 per woman.
In a country where people take off their shoes at the entrance and live in tatami-mat rooms, it was long unthinkable for dogs to be kept inside. But that has changed as traditional Japanese homes have been replaced by Westernized townhouses with wooden floors.
Families have split into smaller units, with aging parents often living alone, and many Japanese have turned to dogs to fill their thinning family bonds, said Katsuo Mochizuki, with Japan's Pet Food Manufacturers Assn.
