Japanese host Takahashi Maasa, 40, recently found herself in the center of a heated debate after sharing this picture of her one-year-old daughter.

Maasa, who’s the daughter of Japanese actor Takahashi Hideki, 77, and actress Akiko Kobayashi, 73, tied the knot with her non-celebrity husband in 2018. Their daughter was born the following year.

In October, Maasa posted this photo of her daughter wearing a harness with a child leash attached to her.

Maasa shared that everyone has different views when it comes to putting their child on a harness, but she chose to do so in order to protect her daughter.

Maasa went on to write that this would prevent her daughter from getting lost or wandering off, adding that she only uses it occasionally.

Many netizens have since left comments on her blog, with some agreeing with Maasa’s stance. They believe that putting your kid on a leash is a good way to protect him or her, especially if they have the tendency to run off by themselves.

However, those who disagreed with Maasa felt that it was demeaning for the child to be kept on a leash, and that parents who use such harnesses are simply treating their kid like a dog .

Recently, Maasa addressed the controversy on a TV show.

She said that parents who are afraid of getting judged for using such harnesses should not feel that way because ensuring the safety of their kids is the most important thing at the end of the day.

As for netizens who criticise her for treating her daughter like a dog, Maasa said: “A dog is also part of our family, if they look down on dogs like that, it’s really impolite.”

Photos: Takahashi Maasa/Ameblo