Izakaya Takahashi Shoten, which chose to switch to barn-raised eggs, is cage free

This month, we received a message from Takahashi Shoten, an izakaya in the city of Seki in Gifu Prefecture, that they switched to cage-free eggs.  A few months ago, ARCJ had asked them to switch to cage-free eggs.

The owner said,

We used to buy eggs at the supermarket and thought that animals weren’t handled well.  This time, I was able to tour the poultry house at an egg farm and found a farm that was kept clean with soil, so we switched to their eggs.  I’ve always wanted to change to cage-free eggs, but felt it more strongly after receiving a call from the Animal Rights Center urging me to switch to cage-free, so we changed.

As mentioned above, this shop was previously contacted by ARCJ, and at that time they said they could not change immediately, but the other day, we were informed that they switched to cage-free.

Their choice is a very courageous move, as many companies and shops want to continue to use cheap, mass-produced eggs.

There is only one egg dish at the shop, and there are many vegan menu items.
https://www.hachidory.com/restaurant/00/?id=1489&pageID=116

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 rearing  (not the farm used by the featured business, 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