Considering microchips
Microchipping your dog ensures that your pet finds its way back home in times of disaster or if it gets lost. Most countries now require microchipping pets in order to register them with the city.
From 2022, dog owners in Japan are required to microchip their dog.
When I read that, I nodded. “Yup good idea.” Then I realized I didn’t know much about microchips in pets other than I needed one. So off I went to do a deep dive into what microchips do for dogs and how this whole thing works in Japan.
What is this microchip for dogs?
It’s a tiny, tamper proof RFID (radio frequency identification) microchip about the size of a grain of rice. A vet injects a microchip into the pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The age a puppy can get a microchip depends on breed and local regulations.
The microchip has no battery and generally lasts the life of your pet. It cannot be transferred to another animal.
You need a handheld scanner to read the microchip’s ID number. A search on the microchip database, provideds the name of the owner and contact information on record. And voila! Pet and owner can be reunited.
Countries have their own registration agency. If you move your dog to another country, you will need to enquire about whether the current microchip will work in that country and where to register the microchip.
Can I track my dog with this microchip?
The microchip does not broadcast a signal so it can’t be used to track your pet.
Is a microchip harmful to your pet?
Paws and More Vet from Australia gives the best (I think) explanation about microchips and pet health. Implanting a microchip causes minimal discomfort and side effects are rare. But as with all things for your canine friend, If you have concerns or notice anything you should contact your vet. Personally, these risks seem small compared to what can happen if your dog wanders anonymously.
Why microchip dogs
Microchipping helps reunite dogs (and cats) with owners. No one likes to think their dog will get lost, but there are many reasons a pet might get separated from an owner.
Natural disasters: Japan has flooding, landslides and earthquakes. The Tohoku Earthquake is a tragic example of how people and pets get separated and the difficulty of reuniting pets and owners. Some pets were not claimed because the owner had died, or they couldn’t be found because they ended up in different places with no way to connect the owner to their pets.
Accidents: if you are in an accident your pet might get away and you might not be in condition to retrieve your pet
Theft/Ownership disputes: The information on the RFID chip can also prove ownership in cases of pet theft or from someone else claiming your dog.
Preventing abandoned animals: Microchipping can also aid in decreasing the ability of people to abandon pets anonymously.
Microchipping dogs in Japan
Microchipping started in Japan in 1998 but it was optional until 2020. The law requiring pets to be microchipped passed in 2019. Dogs owned as pets before June 1, 2020 are not required to get microchipped.
For most dog owners, their dog will come with a microchip because breeders and pet shops are not allowed to sell dogs that are not chipped. If you are transferring ownership of a dog from friends, family or a rescue organization, microchipping in not mandatory. But many animal rescue organizations microchip pets before adopting them and more importantly in order to register your dog in your municipality they now need a microchip number.
Amelia’s best doggie friend has no microchip as he was born in 2019. He is registered with the city and as long as he stays with this family, he doesn’t legally need a microchip.
But adult dogs can still get microchipped. It’s not just a puppy thing.
Microchips must be registered if you get one. That is, if you get one for your dog, you have to do the paperwork.
A bonus for registering your dog’s microchip
Your dog’s rabies vaccination will be updated in a database connected to your dog’s microchip number. This is great news in case your dog loses its identification tags. Having proof of a dog’s vaccination status will help.
The Work Flow of Implanting and Registering Your Dog’s Microchip (this also applies to cats!)
This page about microchipping from the Ministry of the Environment is the portal to register or update your pet’s microchip and will have the most up to date information. It’s easy to register your dog. You can do it online via computer or smartphone and paid online, or can be done on paper (at a city office or by mail) which has a higher fee and takes longer (¥400 for online and ¥1400 for paper registration). When using internet browser translation, the process becomes so much easier for non-Japanese speakers.
Implanting the microchip and getting the paper work?
- At veterinary hospitals, veterinarians use a special injector to embed it under the skin.
- A “microchip certificate” will be issued by a veterinarian who microchips dogs and cats.
- This microchip installation certificate is required when registering the owner’s information in the database.
Cost of Getting Microchipped
The cost of getting your dog microchipped in Japan can vary depending on the clinic and the services offered. Typically, the procedure is around ¥5,000 yen. This is what my vet charges but other clinics may charge more.
This fee generally includes the cost of the microchip, the implantation procedure, and the initial registration of the microchip in the national database.
Some clinics may offer bundled services or discounts, especially if the microchipping is done alongside other procedures, such as vaccinations. You can also inquire with your ward or prefecture if there is any program to help pay for fees.
Generally, regular pet owners (i.e. not breeders) usually don’t have to pay this fee since breeders and pet shops must microchip their dogs before selling them.
Though it’s not mandatory for rescue organizations, some will have microchipped the dog. This cost is often included in the adoption fee. For example, Amelia was adopted from Heart Tokushima and the cost of her spay operation and microchipping was included in her adoption fee.
Stay up to date on your dog’s microchip data
Dog owners must have microchip information to register their animal with their municipality.
Owners are also responsible for updating information about their pet such as moving, transfer of ownership or if your pet passes away. You will need the ID number and the PIN code to make any changes online.
If you lose this paper, you can get it replaced by getting the document from your vet, or getting a new certificate from a different vet. This will likely involve a fee. Then go to the microchip portal and fill out the replacement information which does involve a fee (see Administration fees below).
Microchip Administration Related Fees
After the cost of microchipping your dog, these are some use-case fees you may encounter:
- Registration is 400 yen (paper application: 1,400 yen)
- Relocating/change of contact info (no charge)
- Transfer of ownership: 400 yen (paper application: 1,400 yen)
- Getting a new copy of your registration 300 yen (paper application:1,300 yen)
- If your pet passes away (no charge)
I’m moving to Japan and my dog already has a microchip. Do I need another one?
At this point (as far as I can tell) there is no international registry of microchips for dogs. Also, having the correct type of microchip will be important tracking your dog’s progress through the complicated process of importing your dog into Japan. The ISO ISO 11784 and 11785 microchip (15 digits, only numbers) is compatible with the RFID readers used. So if you may need a new one depending on which one your dog has, but in that case, it will need to be done before arriving in Japan.
Even with a microchip you still need your tags
Your dog still needs to wear its ID and the rabies vaccination tag given each year. If you have your name and address on the dog tag, your canine friend can be quickly returned to you without needing to go to a place that can read the RFID chip. Also, some places (like municipal dog parks) need to see the vaccination status and don’t have access to a microchip reader or the database.
Get chipped!
Microchipping seems like such a small part of dog ownership and the keeping up with administration can be a bother, but doing so has huge benefits to you and your pet. I hope this post helped you with this task.
TLDR Link List (all pages in Japanese)
- PDF flowcharts about microchipping (fees in the first PDF are outdated as of July 2024 comapred to info on other pages):
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