Why Is Japan's Dog Day on November 1? Who Chose It, and How It Differs from Animal Welfare Week

In Japan, November 1 is Dog Day (Inu no Hi). You may have seen it on a calendar without knowing who chose it, or when.

Dog Day falls on November 1 because of the wordplay "wan wan wan": "wan" is a dog's bark in Japanese and also sounds like "one." It was chosen in 1987 by today's Japan Pet Food Association, then called the Pet Food Industry Association. In this article, we trace how it began, using the association's history and national and local government sources. November 1, 2026 is a Sunday, so at the end we also suggest how to spend the day.

Chosen by an industry group born alongside Japanese dog food

The organization that chose Dog Day started out as a dog food industry group. Both a notice from the Saitama Prefecture Animal Guidance Center and the association's own history page record that the association chose the day in 1987. The history page does not say why.

According to the association's history, the first dog food made in Japan was developed in 1960, and the Japan Dog Food Industry Association was founded in October 1969. In the 1960s in between, several companies dedicated to making and selling pet food were founded, and a market took shape. As the cat food market also grew, "pet" entered its name in 1975. In 1983 it was reorganized as the Pet Food Industry Association, and it remained a voluntary body until it became a general incorporated association in 2009.

Dog Day was chosen in 1987, during this industry association era. Since 1994, the group has surveyed the number of dogs and cats kept in Japan and published the results every year. It became today's Japan Pet Food Association, a general incorporated association, on April 1, 2009.

Besides food, the timeline also lists work related to pet care and manners. In 1984, the association produced and distributed a booklet titled "The Right Way to Keep Dogs and Cats." In 1993, it also produced a video titled "The Right Way to Keep and Train Dogs." We tell the story of Japanese dogs themselves in our column "Tracing the History of the Shiba Inu."

Different in origin from Animal Welfare Week, which is set by law

Dog Day is a commemorative day chosen by an industry group, while Animal Welfare Week is set by law. The Ministry of the Environment explains that the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals sets September 20 to 26 as Animal Welfare Week. The aim stated in Article 4 of the Act is to deepen public interest in and understanding of animal welfare and proper care.

The same article also requires the national and local governments to strive to see that events suited to the week's purpose are held. In practice, the Ministry of the Environment explains, the national government, local governments and related organizations work together to hold awareness events.

The association's history page records under 1973 that the Act on the Protection and Management of Animals was enacted. In other words, a law on the protection and management of animals existed before Dog Day was chosen.

In the US, National Dog Day is August 26

In the US, National Dog Day, founded in 2004 by the author Colleen Paige, is celebrated every year on August 26. The New York State Senate adopted a resolution commemorating August 26, 2025, as National Dog Day.

According to the resolution, the day was created because the selfless service of search and rescue dogs at Ground Zero in New York had gone largely unacknowledged. The resolution also explains that the day serves to make the public recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year.

Adoption here means taking in a rescued dog as a member of your family. The resolution states that since the first National Dog Day in 2004, approximately one million dogs have been saved through adoptions nationwide. It also encourages dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure.

Some local governments use Dog Day to share their animal welfare work

Like Saitama Prefecture, some local governments use Dog Day to share their animal welfare work. Ahead of Dog Day 2025, the Saitama Prefecture Animal Guidance Center issued a message of thanks to people who help with animal welfare.

The message notes that while many dogs live happily as members of their families, there are also dogs abandoned by their owners. The prefecture writes that the number of dogs taken in and euthanized in Saitama has fallen sharply, even compared with cats.

The prefecture's goal is zero euthanasia of dogs and cats by the end of fiscal 2030. It adds that the help of volunteers and animal welfare groups is still essential to reach that goal.

In a notice dated October 19, 2026, Okayama Prefecture announced an animal welfare festival at its Animal Welfare Center on the same day, November 1. The notice does not mention Dog Day, but the program is set to include a talk on living with dogs and cats and a photo exhibition of local families' pets. The center's dog run will be closed all day on November 1.

Spend the Dog Day weekend at a seat that suits your dog

Why not make the Dog Day weekend a relaxed outing with your dog? On a pleasant sunny day, choose terrace seating; on a chilly day or with a senior dog, a covered terrace or shops that allow dogs indoors let you take a break side by side. Dog policies differ from shop to shop, so please check the latest details with each shop.

If you are unsure where to go, the "Autumn and Winter Outings: Shop Finder by Enjoyment Style (Advanced)" self-check can help. You can check the background to Animal Welfare Week with the "Animal Welfare and Owner Responsibility Quiz (Advanced)."