Globally, Japan is significantly behind in two key areas of livestock farming: the density of bird species, such as chickens and ducks, and the methods of slaughter. The welfare of livestock animals in Japan has completely fallen behind international standards,…
The multi-partisan parliamentary group aiming for zero killing of dogs and cats has established a project team for amending the Animal Welfare Act. Since its launch on August 25, 2023, the PT has held 21 meetings to hear from stakeholders…
On September 3rd, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare convened to discuss animal testing in cosmetics, including quasi-drugs, in Japan. Globally, many countries are enacting laws to ban animal testing for cosmetics. In contrast, Japan has left the decision…
In 2018, it was unimaginable for a company to prioritize animal welfare in its procurement policies. No such policies existed at the time, and the idea of a company publicly acknowledging it as a key issue seemed far-fetched. Fast forward…
The Osaka Kansai Expo Association has announced its recognition of the free-range egg certification from the Eco-Design Certification Center as an approved certification scheme. This means it has been recognized as meeting the association’s stringent procurement standards. However, in practice,…
Globally, Japan’s livestock protection index is ranked at the lowest level. Japanese companies are rated at the lowest level in the BBFAW (Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare) for animal welfare, making investment in them high-risk. This lag is not…
On May 19th and 20th, we went to a pig farm that was closing down to rescue eight pigs who had been left behind and were scheduled for slaughter. We planned to picked up two pigs for long-distance transport on…
MIHOPAN, a sincere bakery in Higashi-Osaka City that has consistently provided bread made with carefully selected ingredients, has recently pledged to only use cage-free eggs moving forward, showing their support for the cage-free movement. The owner, Miho, became increasingly aware…
Animal Rights Center has been accusing the organizers of the Itoman Harley Duck Catching Competition of violating the Animal Welfare Act, but unfortunately, they were not prosecuted. However, the fact that they were not prosecuted does not mean that this…
Two stores, “More Soup” in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, and “Mendoriya” in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, responded to inquiries from the Animal Rights Center, stating that they currently only use cage-free eggs and will never use caged eggs, thereby expressing…
The Animal Welfare Award, presented annually to companies that have made effective contributions to domestic animal welfare, has selected the winners for the poultry and fish categories. The Animal Welfare Award is organized by the certified NPO Animal Rights Center,…
Animal Rights Center Japan is working hard to rescue eight pigs from the cages of a closing pig farm. However, it was discovered that the originally planned land could not be used to build houses for the pigs due to…
This project started in March 2024, and we are currently working at a fast pace to prepare. Although we haven’t been able to share all the details yet, we are working as quickly as possible to free the pigs from…
On March 22, 2024, Representative Genki Sudo questioned the progress on the practical application of in-ovo sexing during a session of the House of Councillors’ Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In-ovo sexing is a technology aimed at resolving the…
In response to inquiries from the Animal Rights Center Japan, three stores-“mojokado co.,ltd.” in Minamata City, Kumamoto Pref., “Organic Foods & Goods Shop poka poka” in Koshi City, Kumamoto Pref. and “Rice, natural food plus cafe Neko.” in Kurayoshi City,…
We have been informed that a case, which has been under investigation after a complaint was filed with the Okinawa Prefectural Police against the Itoman Harley festival’s duck catching competition that took place on June 23, 2023, for violation of…
There was a whistleblower to report repeated acts of violence, including attacking injured areas, at the Ibaraki Livestock Center. On February 19th, a joint complaint was filed with the Ibaraki Prefectural Police in the names of four organizations, Japan Anti-Vivisection…
It is a well-known fact that male chicks from egg-laying hens are killed on the day of birth, but few people know that chickens raised for meat are similarly sorted on their first day, and “substandard” chicks are being killed…
TANTAN NOODLE Raku, a locally popular ramen restaurant in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, places a strong emphasis on ethical choices through food, and proudly commits to using only cage-free eggs. In January 2024, in response to inquiries from the Animal…
In August 2023, a stylish cafe named Koborebi opened in the heart of the Kameari Station Shopping Street in Katsushika-ku, Tokyo. The owner is particularly meticulous about the cafe’s exterior and interior design, selecting items from DIY and antique shops…