I understand that prarie dogs are expensive in Japan. Are they sold for food or pets?

Question

Due to the variety of foods eaten in a multitude of cultures, its not an insensitive question to ask. Its just that-a question. Not an assertion that the JAPANESE do eat anything. So for everyone that responded in a negative way, YOU demonstrated your prejudice and ignorance moreso than I.

Answer 1

It is terrible that Japanese people eat horses. Horses are said to be a "noble beast": I guess the Japanese just plain EAT nobility, then!

As for the lowly cow, it is a dumb, herd animal that has to be prodded: it is so dumb, it does not know where it is going, without help...or without following the dumb idiot heifer stampeding at the head of the fleeing herd.

In short, the Japanese show great insensitivity in eating an animal that is very intelligent: just like eating their 5-year-old child!
(Horses are VERY smart: like a 5-yr-old kid)

Sorry. I just had to throw that in, here.

No Caucasian has to apologize for being appalled at what people from other countries eat.

(And, moldy soy and mung beans? Oh, happy day!!!)

To the nice Japanese people who post, here: quit being so racially sensitive: it is not about your race, anyway. It is about the "shock value" of the differences in customs, from one country to the next.

Answer 2

It's Japanese eating whale meat (and the Japanese govt refusing to stop it) that's a shame: no matter what 'race' or 'culture' you come from, as an endangered species whales should not be butchered to offer rich busnessmen a chance at showing off.

I doubt prarie dogs would be food or pets in Japan: they're basically vermin.

Answer 3

The only Prairie dog you're likely to find here in Japan will be living at the ZOO!!!!!

Maybe - just MAYBE - some rich twit might keep some as luxury pets, but I doubt it!

What a stupid question! The only reason some of the more exotic pets are expensive here is to prevent ignorant morons from buying them when they have NO idea how to care for them!!

The only three things that people in Japan eat that YOU might find 'odd' are horse meat - an expensive, rare treat for those who want it (not many!), raw fish - sashimi, which the whole world already knows about! And nattou - mouldy soy beans! All of those foods are also available as a traditional food of one or more other countries too - it's NOT just Japanese people who are likely to eat them!!

Japanese people do NOT eat animals that most Western cultures consider to be 'pets'! Unless you count pigs, chickens and cows as pets - but that would be YOUR problem, not ours!!!

BTW, other countries where horse meat is eaten - noble or not - include Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, Belgium and France. I daresay it's been eaten in the good ole' US of A too at times - although nowadays you just export it to the above mentioned countries..! Hypocrites!

Also, just to get your goat a bit more, countries in which horse meat is sometimes eaten raw include the following - France, Italy, and Japan.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/chance88.html

Answer 4

This is the simple and non-aggressive (caucasian or otherwise) answer to your question. They are definately not sold for food and perhaps they can be sold as pets. But it is definately rare for anyone to have a prairie dog as a pet. Two main reason why, the first is cost (most pets are relatively expensive in Japan) and also regulations in regard to owning one.

Answer 5

As I understand it from several friends who have lived in Japan, EVERYTHING is expensive there, but none of them have ever heard of prairie dogs being sold there.

Answer 6

Sumimasen, gai-jin san, you do seem to be in Lalalala Land; ne?

Prairie dogs are not seen nor sold in Japan, because [a] Japanese eat fish, mostl;y, not dogs and [b] there are very good breeds of dogs available in Japan for pets. So, why would anyone in Japan want to import costly American Prairie dogs, ne?

Please pardon Yozora san, for taking offense to your Lalalala Question. I think she did want to educate you regarding the facts about Japan, though.

Sayonara.

PS,

It is truly saddening to see such "Caucasian" insensitivity and lack of ettiquette dispalyed, ne?

Speaks volumes about their upbringing, doesn't it?
.

Answer 7

Honestly, what is it with the stupid stereotype that Asians eat non-farm animals? If anything, I would think that White people eat prairie dogs. They eat possum and other roadkill, right?