The Current Situation and Challenges of Accepting Foreigners with Unapproved Service Dogs According to the Act of Assistance Dogs for Person with Physical Disabilities in Japan

Abstract

Established in 2002 with the objective to advance and foster accessibility for challenged individuals, The Act on Assistance Dogs for Persons with Physical Disabilities stipulates, in accordance with the physical disability certificate, that guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs be legally accepted as assistance dogs, and that they require legal certification and ID. The demands and uses of guide dogs and hearing dogs are the same between Japan and the Western world, but there has been increasing variation in the Western world for the demand and uses of service dogs. In contrast to Japan, the Western world uses service dogs for mental and emotional challenges, such as developmental disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), none of which are legally accommodated in Japan; there are no regulations requiring the certification, identification, or accountability of these types of service dogs and their users. While emotional support animals are becoming a social issue in the United States, due to its difficulty in distinguishing between “invisible” and “fake” disabilities, Japan is facing the same problem; of the 7,000 dogs that enter Japan each year, 20 are assistance dogs. Japanese airlines operating international flights between North America and Japan have reported that they have over 30 cases of U.S. “service dogs” aboard annually, and that they are facing complaints regarding noise and behavior problems. Heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, it is important that we promote and publicize information concerning the Act on Assistance Dogs, so that we can accept and accommodate for those with dogs that comply with the Act, and to caution those with dogs that do not.