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OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) in September 2019 prepared and presented the 3rd draft of the “Animal Welfare and Laying Hen Production Systems”. The development of the “Animal Welfare and Laying Hen Production Systems” has been under discussion since 2017, and especially for the second draft last year, there were embarrassing opinions from Japan that the animal welfare standard should be significantly lowered. Similar opinions were expressed not only by Japan but also by the United States, but Japan’s strong and backward attitude seems to have left a strong impression in the world. In response, 3rd draft was created, but the content was reduced to a level that would…
The fraction of supermarkets carrying cage-free eggs increased to 51%. Animal welfare, spreading in Japan as well. Animal Rights Center Japan, with support from 77 volunteers in 24 prefectures nationwide from August 1 to September 31, 2019, surveyed 270 stores for animal welfare and plant-based protein availability. In the “Green Consumer Nationwide Store Survey 2015” sponsored by the nonprofit Citizens Environmental Foundation and participated by multiple organizations including the Animal Rights Center in 2015, 22% of the supermarkets sold eggs that were labeled cage-free or free-range, and 16% of supermarkets sold milk labeled “free range” or “grazing”. In 2019, the concept of animal welfare seems to have spread a lot,…
Thank you for sending us videos, photos, and episodes of many chickens who are kind, intelligent, and worth their lives on their own. Every chicken was wonderful and adorable and it was difficult to make the selection, but the Animal Rights Center Japan board members voted for the chickens and their episodes, and chose the following. Grand Prize: Displaying the very character of the chickens! 北海道旭川市の 星 穏佳 さんと同居している鶏たち。 「ケージ飼育知らずににわとりかいをしました。知って涙なしにいられませんでした。周りは狭いところが飼うのがあたりまえ。自分はその飼い方にいつしか疑問を持つようになりました。 嘴を切る必要性の無さ、 オスのにわとりをミンチにする無意味さ、 すべて不自然。 農業も不自然ですが、畜産はもっともっと不自然。」 「冬は小屋の中？閉じ込める？ んなことしなくても、寒くなれば 勝手に小屋に帰るよ。 だって、うちら自由にうごける足があるしさ。」 Outstanding: Great co-existence of chickens and humans! 愛知県の野田典子さん家族と同居しているちっぷさんとあんこさん。 「ストレスなく快適に暮らす事は人間以外の生き物にも当たり前の権限だと思います」 Like a tomboy ^^ 丸岡圭一さんの家に勝手に住み着いたフランキー。 View this post on Instagram A post shared by 丸岡 圭一 (@maruokakeiichi) Very lively! 千葉県のErinaさんと一緒に生活をしているストライプちゃんとゴールドちゃん。 「毎日100パーセントの愛情を込めて 一緒に生活しています。 お散歩へ出掛けると、ケージの中とは違って、目の輝きや行動が凄くいきいきとし…
Japan is still in a situation where 99% of eggs are produced from battery cages, and the industry is clinging to this old rearing method. However, there will be no future there. In USA, sale of caged eggs have been banned starting in Massachusetts, then in California, Washington, and Oregon. Furthermore, Other states tried to ask the Supreme Court to repeal the law in Massachusetts but the Supreme Court did not accept the lawsuit. Eggs in the US are inexpensive. Unlike in Japan, it must be advantageous to be able to produce feed within the country, and to have large production volumes with large facilities. It seems that Japan wants…
Regarding the animal welfare regulations on rearing method that the International Animal Health Organization OIE is trying to formulate, Japan continues to give negative opinions saying “reasonable flexibility should be ensured considering various production modes”. In response to industry and national attitudes, we, the Animal Rights Center Japan, have requested that animal welfare be enhanced in collaboration with other animal rights groups. Consumer groups have also joined the national committee and are speaking out for animal welfare. However, the opinions of NGOs are not reflected at all. The chicken farm shown in this video is from Japan. This is the result of ensuring reasonable flexibility. There is no law at…
RICCO gelato Co., Ltd., which operates stores on Okinawa Miyakojima and in Tokyo, is popular with a variety of flavors that ice cream lovers won’t get bored with. Precise allergen labeling is also one of the attractions, and there are many types of ice cream that does not use milk or eggs. There are also sales via an online store, so many people are probably using it; when inquired, we confirmed that cage-free eggs are used in all products in addition to ice cream. RICCO gelato Co. Chief Director Yutaka Maeno said: Even if it takes extra effort, we’d like consumers to eat safe and delicious food. Rearing chickens cage-free…
There are various support systems for the livestock industry implemented by the country, but one of them is Comprehensive Subsidies for Developing Strong Agriculture & Leaders. As previously reported in another article, from 2018, when using this grant to establish a local meat production center (slaughterhouse), consideration for animal welfare has become required. In the case of implementing the maintenance of local meat centers among livestock product processing facilities, efforts shall be made to effectively utilize the recycling of slaughter residue, etc., and handle livestock in consideration of animal welfare. Although it is not specific, it was a step forward in animal welfare that such a sentence was added to…
The 2 chickens, Ayumi and Nozomi, rescued from battery cages in 2018 and taken back by ARCJ. Because they were originally injured in the battery cage in the legs and the base of the feet, they were unable to walk. In particular, Nozomi had a broken bone in the base of her foot which was then reconnected crookedly, so her recovery was delayed. Seven months after coming to ARCJ, please take a look at their appearance. Ayumi Ayumu began running around immediately. At first, it seemed like she would topple over when she was about to walk, but her posture eventually improved, now looking like a chicken. Nozomi After spending…
Japanese eggs that got banned in Taiwan In 2018, due to oversupply of eggs, the price fell and the adult chicken renewal and empty shack extension project was launched, and millions of egg-laying chickens were slaughtered (details here). Egg prices are so low that they have fallen to the lowest level in the last 10 years, and production is said to be excessive *1. Wondering what happens to the extra eggs, the following article was published in the April issue of the Japan Chicken Industry News *2 with the title “Japanese eggs exceed Taiwan’s pesticide residue standard tolerance”. Chicken eggs exported from Japan in February were suspended from import because…
Nanakusano sato is a company that produces natural mayonnaise called “Matsuyda no Mayonnaise.” We found out the eggs this company uses are all cage-free. The company intends to keep this policy in the future. We confirmed this is the first Japanese company with such a policy. They said the reason they only use cage-free eggs is “it’s just simply natural.” This is from their website: What is natural? Don’t touch much. Don’t add much. Keep the conventional way. It takes effort, but it is natural to take time. Don’t overdo. Let nature take care of things. Nature will take care of crops, birds, and fermentation. While there are companies who…
It was shocking to hear the response by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) to a question about animal welfare at the Tokyo Olympics asked by Councilor Katsuya Ogawa from Hokkaido at the House of Councilors Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Shocking response 1. Perhaps MAFF doesn’t know much about the group rearing of pigs? The OIE Pig Welfare Policy was established in May 2018, and it recommends that the sows be bred in groups, indicating that pregnancy stall breeding does not satisfy animal welfare (OIE Animal Welfare Code: Animal Welfare and Pig Production System. Article 7.13.1). In promoting group rearing, MAFF has expressed concerns as follows:…
n November 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Wealth (MHLW) released an investigation report on the matter of slaughterhouses cramming chickens in cages and abandoning them for long hours. 72 hours of Abandonment The investigation by the MHLW was mentioned during the deliberation for the Ministry of Forestry, Agriculture, and Fisheries (MAFF) in the Diet on 21st November 2018. According to the report, the MHLW investigated 28 slaughterhouses out of 32 (as of 2016) in the country, excluding three houses in Okayama and one in Fukuoka. Investigations conducted by the MHLW typically focus on sanitary issues. Therefore, the results don’t present the facts that chickens cannot raise their heads…
Marriott International is going cage-free by 2025! Please find their official statement from the link below. http://serve360.marriott.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Marriott_International_Cage-Free_Egg_Statement.pdf If you do not know the problem of caged eggs, you can find articles about caged eggs from this link. http://www.arcj.org/en/animals/factoryfarming/category/contents_type=77 A costumer asked them if this policy is also applied to hotels in Japan. They said yes! They also told her that they can serve you vegan meal at their hotels if you are vegan. *Animal Rights Center is still waiting for the response from Marriott International Japan. Marriott International is the biggest hotel chain company in the world. There are also many hotels in Japan owned or managed by Marriott. We believe that…
Following the rescue of two birds who have been fostered by the Open Sesame sanctuary, the Animal Rights Center rescued two egg-laying hens from a battery cage farm. They had difficulty walking and were about to be killed because they could not lay eggs. Their foster parents are Mrs. Ujiie, who had earlier taken in the battery cage chickens Koharu and Satsuki as their family. In the big yard at the family’s, the two birds were able to feel for the first time the feeling of the green grass well lit by the sun. They are still not able to walk as they wish. One of the birds cannot move…
Mother Sows in Captivity:sow stall in Japan A rearing method which has been illegalized in many countries is still used at more than 88% of pig farms in Japan. These are photos taken between 2015 and 2017 at Japanese hog raising farms. Sows are shut in a small cage called a sow stall (gestation create). Sows spend almost all of their entire life in a cage in which they cannot walk or turn. Sows engage in abnormal behaviors such as biting their cages, continuously doing chewing motions without food in their mouths, and drinking water without stopping. The EU banned sow stalls in 2013, and ten states in America have banned them.…
In 2016, Koharu was living in battery cage. She became blind and unable to produce eggs, and was about to be killed. A warm-hearted worker rescued her and gave her to Animal Rights Center Japan. She got better soon after and now she is living with her new parent. She’s enjoying her life walking in a big yard and inside her parent’s house. Koharu’s true story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIiD1wwstQ Right after she was rescued https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=28&v=nrT9f3e5Btg Animal Rights Center Japan is working to save hens from suffering in battery cages. Please support us. http://www.arcj.org/donate/
10 Olympians started the campaign to demand animal welfare at 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They said “If you do not update the policies and food quality acceptable in our city’s Olympic Games, your city could be viewed as behind the global trend toward improved welfare standards for animals in factory farms. This is extremely problematic.”
We launched a petition called “Stop Confining Hens which Produce Eggs for us in Cruel Cages.” On 2018 June 18, it already has gathered more than 16,350 signatures. This petition was launched to ask companies and government to shift from cage eggs which confines hens in tine cages to free range or barn eggs. We asked companies to meet us to discuss cage-free policy and to accept the petition and documents writing about information related to cage-free movement. (We did the same thing also in 2017. You can find the results from here in Japanese.) As we gather more and more signatures, it will be more difficult for companies to ignore cage-free…
Egg laying hens get slaughtered in a year or two after their egg production slows down. They are used for frozen foods or canned meat. These chickens go through long hours of transportation, then, get abandoned for a long period of time at slaughterhouses. We’ve been working with concerned parties to improve this since 2017 after we investigated this situation. As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery (MAFF) issued a notification to relevant parties to improve the situation on March 26th 2018. At the same time, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) gave the notification, and the Ministry of Environment issued an announcement in relation…
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 and deliberate on the direction of amendments. Out of these 21 sessions, however, only one touched on livestock animals, and just one on laboratory animals. Despite 1 billion livestock animals being killed annually, the issue remains far from the priorities of lawmakers. In the sole PT meeting addressing livestock, the discussions showed promise, but it is unlikely to expect significant amendments by 2025 at this rate. 17th PT: Hearings on…
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