Bringing a dog to Japan

I'm planning on going to Japan around next spring and I want to take my dog with me. We would be staying with my Japanese boyfriend in his apartment for a few months. I searched about Japanese laws etc regarding bringing pets to Japan and there was one like this: "A dog has to be in quarantine for 180 days before arriving in Japan." What does this exactly mean?One person here had said before that it means the dog must stay in the same country for 180days. So I don't have to isolate my dog from other dogs or something?Just that he has had to stay in the same country for 180days?(which he has)

It means your dog must be kept in quarantine for 180 days after arrival in Japan. So if you are only in Japan for 2 months there is no point in taking your dog as it would still be quarantined by the time you leave.

Think for the welfare of the dog and for yourself the expense.
Our family dog was a globe trotter flying from US to Hawaii(3 months quarantine + 1 month vacation(out of quarantine jail), then Australia(another 3 months quarantine during 2 year stay. We visited him often). Then to Japan a year(no quarantine) and back to US (no quarantine). He liked steak in Sydney, though. All expense was paid for, but not by me.

Quarantine usually means the dog must be kept in a Japanese government facility for 180 days while he is observed for any signs of diseases that Japan doesn't want to enter the country. The costs of this stay are paid for by the dog owner. I think you can see why people don't usually bring their dogs when coming here for a short stay!

There is a way to bring your dog into the country w/out the quarantine period, but mind you......it is a very expensive and time consuming process. It will take you at a minimum 6 months to prepare your do for arrival in Japan. And, if you miss even one step or do it out of order, then your dog will have to be quarantined the whole time you are here at your expense.

This is the website you would need to look at to find more information on the topic:

http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/index.html

In my opinion, it's not a good idea to bring your dog just for a short visit. If you are moving here on the other hand, it's a lengthy process, but can be done w/out a mandatory quarantine if you go through the right protocol.