Challenging, inadequate animal welfare in Japan

Japan lags behind other countries in animal welfare initiatives. While there is a growing awareness, there are also plenty of controversial practices related to animals. These include whaling, the treatment of farm and zoo animals and other issues. What is the overall state of animal rights in Japan?

Limited animal protection laws

Japan passed Act on Welfare and Management of Animals in 1973. The Act is reviewed every five years. It emphasizes that animals are sentient beings and should not be harmed unnecessarily or subject to cruelty. However, it does have its limitations, such as not covering wild animals. Instead, the focus is largely on the treatment of companion, farm and research animals.

Some have criticized the current animal welfare legislation as too vague. However, the most recently revised version of The Act has stronger punishments for animal abuse. There have also been efforts to restrict the number of animals that breeders can keep, as well as improve conditions in businesses dealing with animals.

Hoarding incidents in the news

While animal welfare in Japan is multi-faceted, there are many incidents involving the unfortunate treatment of animals often kept as pets. Stories of animal hoarding, in particular, have been getting increased attention.

Two notable examples from 2020 include cat hoarding by a married couple in Hokkaido and a man in Aichi. The former had 238 cats in their house, with the latter having 80. Both houses had cats that were in unhealthy conditions or even deceased as a result of an inability to take care of them properly. In the case of the Aichi man, it was difficult to get proper government support to resolve the issue. However, Nagoya did pass an ordinance requiring people with more than 10 pets to report them to the city.

Organizations’ efforts to promote animal rights

Public awareness of animal rights is perhaps behind other industrialized nations, though there are efforts to improve things. There are trap, neuter and release programs to help curb the populations of stray animals. In addition, some groups have started programs to help existing stray populations live better lives in harmony with humans.

Chiiki neko katsudou, or “local cat activities,” is one such example. These are initiatives not only to prevent increased stray cat populations but also to ensure that local stray cats live as comfortably as possible. Communities also get together to exchange opinions on dealing with stray-related issues and to reduce problems that stray cats cause.

Japan has numerous volunteer organizations concerned with animal rights, such as the Animal Rights Center and Japan Animal Welfare Society (JAWS). Their activities include TNR programs and rehoming abandoned pets, as well as improving the conditions of farm animals in Japan, among other things.

Awareness and direct action

Both groups are also involved in spreading awareness of animal rights in Japan. Direct action is important, but simply making people in Japan aware of the issue is also an important step. Changes to improve animal welfare require the will and mindset to do so. Currently, many animal welfare efforts are focused on improving the lives of companion animals and dealing with stray populations. However, there is still much progress to be made for other aspects of animal rights.