TOKYO (AP) — Outside a pet accessory shop in the historic Tokyo district of Asakusa, a 9-year-old poodle has been busy modeling miniature Japanese kimonos.
The poodle’s owner, Yuka Iida, runs the Adachiya pet accessory shop on a popular street renowned for its souvenir shops.
Adachiya started selling clothes and accessories for dogs and cats in the 1970s, said Iida, the seventh-generation owner of the shop.
The 47-year-old, who designs the pet kimonos herself, said she wanted customers to feel the “sense of Asakusa and Japan.”
Before the pandemic, Iida sold primarily to foreign tourists looking for souvenirs. The original pet outfits sold for around $20 to $50 each.
The Tokyo Games, originally planned for 2020, were expected to bring masses of tourists to the city, so Adachiya started preparing Olympics-themed clothes back in 2019.
But the shop faced tough times as the pandemic hit and the games were postponed.
Now, as the Olympics have begun, Iida’s trying to boost business.
She’s been promoting the pet kimonos on Instagram with photos of her customers’ pets as well as her own poodle, Mei, who’s been modeling in exchange for treats.