寄付Donate
The supermarket named “Nagomi Marche Kikuya” (Kikuya Ltd.) in Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture has made a cage-free promise toward the future. Kikuya is a locally loved supermarket with a lineup of carefully selected food. The selection is made by the president himself while meeting with producers in person. Mr. Higashi, the president of the company, selects food with great importance on how the animals are raised and how the producers think about their products. “It’s natural to offer cage-free eggs” True to the word, the store currently has three types of cage-free eggs. They deal with mayonnaise of cage-free eggs from all manufacturers, as well as egg-free one. Mr. Higashi…
The pension Evergreen, located in Suwa District, Nagano Prefecture, has endorsed the Cage-Free Commitment! Evergreen, which has been in business for 10 years, is a lodging facility where you can fully enjoy nature. It offers homemade bread using natural yeast, freshly roasted coffee, and vegetable-based lunches in an environment surrounded by nature. They are committed to pursuing natural ingredients, and their eggs are sourced from naturally raised laying hens. Using Cage -Free Egg from the Local Farm According to the owner, Evergreen has been mainly offering plant-based meals since its opening. The owner’s child happened to find out that his classmate’s family was running a cage-free chicken farm, so they…
The combined-type children’s center FLOWER CHILDREN, located in Sosa City, Chiba Prefecture, has decided to use only cage-free eggs for its meals. FLOWER CHILDREN operates three businesses: a small-scale nursery, care for sick and convalescent children, and an after-school children’s classroom. They provide home-like, small-group childcare and education. From October 2023, the meals provided at the facility have been transitioned to organic, and at the same time, they switched to cage-free eggs. Even the mayonnaise has been changed to use cage-free eggs. ‘If We’re Switching, Let’s Make Everything Better’ According to the director of the children’s center, the decision to go cage-free was made with the intention of switching to…
There is no official data on the percentage of chickens raised cage free in Japan. This means that, while the overall number of the chickens kept is known, the government does not have accurate information on the raising methods used. In contrast, many European countries, the United States, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand keep such statistics. Just this past week, on October 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released data showing that as of June 2023, 38% of chickens in the country were not confined to cages. So what about Japan? The government uses the statistics released by the International Egg Commission that are based on the…
Mothers Co., Ltd., based in Shiraoi Town, Hokkaido, owns its own layer farms, and is popular for the sale of sweets made from eggs produced there. The Animal Rights Center has been urging the company, known for its understanding of animal welfare, to shift to cage-free farming for several years. Now, after reevaluating the relationship between chickens and humans through the COVID-19 pandemic and the avian influenza crisis, Mothers has decided to convert all of its farms to cage-free. Originally, one of the three buildings was cage-free, but preparations are now underway to convert the remaining two to cage-free (aviary systems). Soon, approximately 40,000 egg-laying hens will be housed in…
Takashimaya Farm is a natural food store operated by the well-trusted, long-established department store ‘Takashimaya’, incorporating advanced agricultural and food practices. Recently, buyers from Takashimaya Farm and the Animal Rights Center Japan had an opportunity for dialogue and confirmed that all the shell eggs sold are from cage-free sources. Having cage-free products among the items selected by the discerning buyers of a traditional department store represents a significant and valuable initiative for animal welfare. It truly is a fusion of tradition and cutting-edge practices. What is Cage-Free? 99% of Japan’s egg-laying chickens are kept in cages, which are cramped and unhealthy enclosures. These farming practices are globally shifting towards cage-free…
The cafe Seaside Table Egg in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, known for its dishes and sweets primarily made with eggs, has committed to using only cage-free eggs. Opened in May 2023, Seaside Table Egg is operated by Oakrich Inc., a company that produces free-range eggs. The menu at the cafe exclusively uses free-range eggs from Oakrich Co., Ltd. Mr. Togashi, the representative of Oakrich, chose free-range poultry farming to create eggs that meet his standards, based on the belief that good eggs can only come from healthy birds. Mr. Togashi’s passionate commitment to his chickens and free-range farming is detailed on their website. All our efforts, including free-range farming and…
Animals deserve water, even in their final days. A 2023 survey conducted by the Animal Rights Center Japan revealed animals in Japan are denied drinking water at 38% of cattle, and 72% of pig slaughterhouses. Pigs and cattle in Japan are transported for hours, often up to a day, before arriving at a slaughterhouse. There, they might endure an entire day before their slaughter takes place, and during all that time might not receive drinking water, even in Japan’s intense hot summers. According to a survey conducted from May to July 2023 by the nonprofit Animal Rights Center Japan, 37.82% of cattle, and 71.64% of pig slaughterhouses in Japan lack…
Akidai, which operates supermarkets and other stores mainly in Tokyo, has begun handling animal- and environment-friendly cage-free eggs after discussions with the Animal Rights Center. Famous for its president appearing in the media every day, Akidai’s appeal lies in its quality products, reasonable pricing, and friendly customer service, and the like. Akidai sources products with the theme of ‘Quality and Price Without Compromise, Products We Want to Eat Ourselves. On the same day as the discussion with the Animal Rights Center Japan, Akidai promptly contacted the egg supplier to check the availability of cage-free eggs and began considering procurement., and they immediately commenced sales in-store. Below is a comment from…
The cafe GOOD HABIT in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, known for its scones and tea, has committed to cage-free. A cage-free commitment means either switching the cage eggs to cage-free eggs (such as barn-laid or free-range), or for company that are already using only cage-free eggs, it is a promise to consumers that they will continue to avoid using cage eggs. When the Animal Rights Center Japan contacted GOOD HABIT, we were surprised by the owner, Mrs. Yashima’s, great understanding of the cage-free movement. This was because Ms. Yashima had attended the Ethical Concierge Course hosted by the Ethical Association several times, including lectures by the Animal Rights Center Japan,…
An employee was prosecuted on July 13th after a video of him kicking a dairy cow went viral in social media on June 10th 2023. The Animal Rights Center pressed two charges per the Animal Protection Law; one is against this employee based on the Article 44 Clause 2 and the other is based on the Article 48 Clause 2 against Ohdahara Farm. Though the charge against the farm has been dropped, the Animal Rights Center considers the persecution was fair. This is because many abuse cases against livestock were almost always dismissed no matter how horrendous the cases had been. For instance, 35 pigs were starved to death in…
In June 2023, a video of an assault on a dairy cow at the Ohdahara farm in Shimane Prefecture was spread on social media, and investigated by the prefectural police. While media reports only a rough description of the assaults, the video clearly shows that the cows were subjected to repeated and severe beatings. In the 2 minute 40 second video, which consists of both Video 1 and Video 2, one employee (referred to as Employee A) commits the following violence: Some people claim that it is impossible for farmers to assault cows because it affects the quality of the milk, and that farmers treat their cows with love and…
In 2013, the Animal Rights Center signed a petition calling for the abolition of gestation stalls at five major Japanese meat companies: Nippon Ham, Prima Meat Packers, Itoham Foods, Starzen, and Marudai Food, and submitted the signatures collected that year. Ten years have elapsed since then, and all five companies have clarified their stance on the abolition of gestation stalls. Prima Meat Packers was the first company to make its position clear, stating in 2020 that it would not construct any new piggeries using gestation stalls in the future. Then, in November 2021, Nippon Ham announced that it would transition all gestation stalls on its domestic farms to herd rearing by…
Cafe Fuwa-Fuwa, a pancake specialty cafe in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, has made a cage-free commitment after informing us that all eggs used in the cafe are cage-free eggs in response to an inquiry from the Animal Rights Center Japan. A cage-free commitment is a promise to consumers to switch their eggs to cage-free eggs (barn-laid or free-range), or, for companies already using cage-free eggs, the promise to continue not using caged-eggs. The owner of Café Fuwa-fuwa became interested in organic and livestock production processes because of his own atopic disease. As he researched, he was shocked by the slaughtering methods of livestock animals and began to question the harsh…
On June 1, 2023, during a questioning of a witness at a meeting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee, Councilor Noriko Ishigaki asked, “Is there an animal welfare problem with marbled beef?” In response to this question, Mr. Shinmura, who was invited as an expert on animal welfare, answered that there is no animal welfare issue, saying that the cattle should be raised properly and that it is a genetic factor. This is incorrect. There are a number of animal welfare issues associated with the farming practices conducted to produce marbled meat. How is marbled meat produced? It depends on limiting the intake of vitamin A, which is an…
Yubara Onsen Hakkei, located in Okayama Prefecture, has committed to cage-free. This ryokan has been serving only locally produced “Asahi no Kagayaki” cage-free eggs from Yubara, Maniwa City, and they also told us that they will be using cage -free eggs to make mayonnaise in their own kitchen from now on. Hakkei also offers vegan dishes with prior notice, as they want all customers to enjoy their cuisine. The proprietress of Hakkei, Ms. Kamishio, also has a deep love for animals and is active in the rescue of shelter dogs and cats. She is also deeply concerned about the poor conditions in which livestock animals are kept. She is concerned…
Repaco Ltd., which operates 14 stores in Fukushima Prefecture and other areas in Tohoku has committed to cage-free, showing consideration for the animal welfare of their egg-laying hens. Repaco Co., Ltd. started producing its own cage-free eggs in 2021. The eggs from hens raised on homemade fruit yeast feed are sold under the name “Fruit Eggs”. The following four photos are actual photos of Repaco’s barn-raised poultry The person in charge of Fruits & Eggs has already known that He says “A pastry chef who values quality ingredients personally developed eggs that met their own standards. ‘Fruit Eggs’ are used in all of Repaco’s pastries. We thought about what makes…
Companies that have contributed to the spread of animal welfare The Animal Welfare Award (AWA) is an annual* award to express our gratitude to companies that have made animal welfare efforts with animals in mind in Japan, a country that lags behind the rest of the world in animal welfare for livestock and aquatic animals. We evaluated initiatives that we believe had the greatest possible impact from the perspective of the Animal Rights Center Japan, which is involved in activities to protect farm animals in Japan. *April 2022 – March 2023
International conferences, which had been blocked due to the Corona disaster, are now being held with the same level of glamour as in the past. International events that host dignitaries from various countries, promote exchanges among participants, and encourage media traffic are undoubtedly a great opportunity for animal welfare to make progress. Due to the corona outbreak that began in 2019, the Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to be held in 2020, were held the following year without spectators, which did not allow animal welfare to make the leap forward as envisioned before the corona. For the first time since then, the G7 summit is expected to be the first…
In Japan, pigs and cattle are basically stunned at slaughterhouses before being decapitated and bled to death. However, this process is not 100% complete. This is because it fails. If the fainting process works correctly, the animal will suffer less pain and fear in the final stages. Therefore, efforts to improve the accuracy and reduce the number of failures must always be ongoing. Even one failure from the human point of view is a 100% failure for the animal, and there is no way to recover from it. This Japanese video is from a very common slaughterhouse. Failures are very common. Some people who have visited slaughterhouses will say “it…
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…
寄付