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Chihuahua Craze Hits Japan
Aired August 20, 2003 - 14:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you have a domestic animal, that's alert, cute, and considered pretty cool? Well, those are some of the reasons people are paying thousands of dollars to own a chihuahua in Japan.
CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon has the long and short of it from Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What other dog could fit in your cubicle at the office? What other dog is small, clean, and quiet enough to give away your daughter on her wedding day?
Chihuahuas sell everything in Japan these days, from chocolate to credit cards, and especially themselves.
One chihuahua puppy can set you back by as much as $4,000 in Tokyo's pet stores. But for the fashion conscious, nothing else will do.
Housewife Ikuko Yamata paid the equivalent of almost $3,000 for her long-haired chihuahua named Rich.
"I had to buy him when I saw him staring at me," she says.
Twenty-year-old Yumiko had saved up her hard earned salary as a receptionist at a beauty salon. Seeing all the chihuahuas on TV made her want one, too.
Her new dog, she says, is the most expensive thing she has ever bought.
(on camera): It's not often you find a fashion accessory and best friend all rolled into one. But that's why so many people here are willing to fork out so much money for these little guys.
(voice-over): And that means a booming chihuahua business for pet store owners. In this chihuahua boutique, you can buy your new pet a few fashionable doggie outfits and accessories. There are even special cookies made especially for chihuahua taste buds, all part of what the Japanese call a chihuahua boom.
Store owner Kagi Ecki (ph) says the boom started five years ago and he expects it will continue. Compared to other miniature dogs, he says chihuahuas have more personality. And with whole Web sites in Japan dedicated to this tiny dog, not to mention videos and computer animations, the chihuahua certainly has star power.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 20, 2003 - 14:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Do you have a domestic animal, that's alert, cute, and considered pretty cool? Well, those are some of the reasons people are paying thousands of dollars to own a chihuahua in Japan.
CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon has the long and short of it from Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What other dog could fit in your cubicle at the office? What other dog is small, clean, and quiet enough to give away your daughter on her wedding day?
Chihuahuas sell everything in Japan these days, from chocolate to credit cards, and especially themselves.
One chihuahua puppy can set you back by as much as $4,000 in Tokyo's pet stores. But for the fashion conscious, nothing else will do.
Housewife Ikuko Yamata paid the equivalent of almost $3,000 for her long-haired chihuahua named Rich.
"I had to buy him when I saw him staring at me," she says.
Twenty-year-old Yumiko had saved up her hard earned salary as a receptionist at a beauty salon. Seeing all the chihuahuas on TV made her want one, too.
Her new dog, she says, is the most expensive thing she has ever bought.
(on camera): It's not often you find a fashion accessory and best friend all rolled into one. But that's why so many people here are willing to fork out so much money for these little guys.
(voice-over): And that means a booming chihuahua business for pet store owners. In this chihuahua boutique, you can buy your new pet a few fashionable doggie outfits and accessories. There are even special cookies made especially for chihuahua taste buds, all part of what the Japanese call a chihuahua boom.
Store owner Kagi Ecki (ph) says the boom started five years ago and he expects it will continue. Compared to other miniature dogs, he says chihuahuas have more personality. And with whole Web sites in Japan dedicated to this tiny dog, not to mention videos and computer animations, the chihuahua certainly has star power.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
