I'm going to keep taking the chance here that people would like to
know more on the topic. I do think that Japan remains enigmatic
in so many ways. Like the Buddhist story of the elephant
and the blind monks, Japan has many aspects and better to take
in more information before solidifying your conclusion.
The treatment of animals, in my experience, offers some clues to understanding
the culture as a whole.
A long standing tradition that still exists today in Japan is dog fighting.
if you are searching on line about you might find it under "Tosa Inu".
Inu means dog, and Tosa is a specific breed of dog kept for fighting purposes.
But Tosa is not the only breed used. There are breeders that go to the US
to look for American breeds of dogs that could also be used.
Some are bred with Japanese dogs - others kept pure. I'm sure they must go to
other countries too.
This, however, is not something hidden away in back alleys
and barn yards. It is something in the open, which claims traditional
Japanese values which keep it going. it is perfectly legal.
http://www.shaku1.com/fighting.htm
They even have ranks for winners akin to that in sumo.
And also dress the animals in trophy wreaths like done in sumo.
I once met a man involved in going to the states to get cheaper
vet supplies for a Tosa Inu group.
He complained to me how difficult it was to get vets
to euthanize dogs which were hurt. I'm sure it was a waste
of their resources to patch together animals that had been "used up".
In spite of what the web sites promoting it will say, gambling is a big part
of dog fighting in Japan. And where there is Japanese gambling there
is also yakuza and political corruption.
While even many Japanese people find this practice disgusting it continues
as much as ever
More to say of course,
David