Foreign owners have picked up the slack, with Yamaguchi saying he travels overseas about 20 times a year to personally deliver Akitas to their new owners. (AFP)
「外国人が代わりを務めてきた」。秋田犬が海外で人気との記事から。国内での需要が低迷する一方、海外からの需要が伸びて、今では国内分を上回っているそうだ。take up/pick up the slackはdo something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)で、（他の人の）代わりを務める、不足を補うの意味。
Photo: DogBreeds.com
