In Japan A Wall Of Peeping Shibas Has Become A Small Town Tourist Attraction

On the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, a wall has become one of the area’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s not a particularly tall wall, or even a beautiful one, but once you visit you’ll see why.

This wall is the peep-hole for three insanely adorable and very friendly Shiba Inu, unofficially now dubbed ‘Three Shibas of Shimabara’. The squishy snouted pups were originally spotted in 2016 by Twitter user @Vocal_YURI, who snapped a picture, which subsequently went viral.

視界の端蠢いてるな～って思って見たらわんわんズ！割と本気でびっくりした…
でもすっごいかわいいよ… pic.twitter.com/zyofyiCzkx

— YU-RI (@Vocal_YURI) July 30, 2016
Since their online debut, the trio have become one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions. Each day, the vigilant crew of friendly watch dogs keep a lookout over the street, welcoming passers by. If they’re not in their lookout positions, chances are they’ll come once called.

Looking like a strange puppet display, the dogs have become so popular that even international guests have added a Shimabara visit to their Kyushu itinerary. Don’t expect to try and win them over with snacks, however, as the sign above the puppy peep-hole reads “We’ll get upset stomachs, so please don’t feed us.”
If you want to greet the adorable wall dwellers in person, make your way to Shimabara, a city that sits on the northeastern tip of the Shimabara Peninsula, about a one-and-a-half hour drive from Nagasaki.

Although it may be a strange tourist attraction, it’s pretty normal in Japan, a nation that loves its dogs so much that just earlier this year it hosted a full Buddhist funeral for 114 Sony Aibo robotic dogs.

Cyborg dogs are nothing new in Japan. Up north in winter, the snow-covered hills of Odate City in Akita prefecture were populated by Google camera-wearing Akita Inu who, with cameras strapped onto their backs, powered through the city’s snowy surrounds capturing a full 360-degree view of the area. Watch the ‘making of’ video to see how they pulled it off.
What’s next for pet lovers is anyone’s guess, but if you’ve ever wanted a pet but can’t deal with the hair or responsibility, there’s always Qoobo, a disembodied tail cushion that blurs the line between animal and robot. Created by a Japanese robot company Yukai Engineering, they’re available to buy now and cost just US$100. Think of all the money you’ll save on food and pet bills.

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