Charcoal workshop Sumiyanokurashi is cage-free

In response to an inquiry from Animal Rights Center Japan, Sumiyanokurashi in Kariya, Miyagi, responded that all the eggs they use are already cage-free and that they would support the cage-free declaration.

This is a workshop for living alongside nature and produces charcoal, sweets, and bread, and cage-free eggs are used for cakes.

The owner says,

It is better to take the natural form and in that respect cage rearing is not desirable. After all, rearing a chicken in an unnatural place will cause them to lose their energy and suffer. I think it is better to circulate in a natural state without using chemicals.

What is cage rearing?

In cage rearing, which is the common rearing method for eggs in Japan, chickens are placed in cages and are overcrowded in order to prioritize productivity.

As a result, chickens are susceptible to illness due to lack of exercise, and drugs are used to prevent the spread of illness.

In Japan, over 90% of the farms use battery cage rearing.

It’s misleading to say that that’s healthy, and it’s definitely not natural.

Caged chickens

On the other hand, there do exist a few cage-free egg farms, which allow chickens to roam.

Cage-free chickens   (not the farm where sumiyanokurashi sources eggs from.  Another cage-free farm.)

Cage rearing is being abolished all over the world, but Japan’s animal welfare is currently far behind.

A simple thing we can do to reduce the number of hens who continue getting exploited in their cages and go through life immobilized is for the consumers to stop buying cage-reared eggs and eliminate your egg consumption.

People who become aware of the actual situations and make humane and ethical choices today are what will lead to a sustainable future.

Click here for a list of other cage-free companies and shops