Survey says ethical actions are common in Japan despite low awareness

Ethical-minded bag brand FUMIKODA revealed the results of its ethical fashion and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) awareness survey in March. This survey was conducted nationwide from October 24 to November 8 in 2019, covering 956 participants aged 20 or over. Participants were asked if they know of terms such as “ethical” and “SDGs,” to which 18% and 15.7% replied positively respectively.

The company has launched a new collection, “Fumikoda Diversity,” with the concept of embracing all races, genders, ages, occupations and appearances. The company is also taking action toward addressing 3 SDGs: Gender Equality, Reduced Inequality, and Responsible Consumption and Production. In launching the new inclusive collection, the company initiated this survey to gain a better understanding of how well SDGs and ethical consumption are understood in the country.

For key phrases, while 65.2% knew what “reuse” means, only 18.0% understood the term “ethical.” This might be because the idea of mindful consumption is relatively new in Japan. According to the Ethical Association in Japan, it was only in 2015 that the Consumer Affairs Agency started creating a framework for ethical consumption. Moreover, there wasn’t a fixed phrase to describe this idea until 2016, when the Agency settled with “eshikaru shohi” (the literal meaning of ethical consumption).

The survey also revealed the low recognition of SDGs among the participants. Only 15.7% said they are familiar with the SDGs, and 25.4% said they had heard of the goals. Moreover, 58.2% said they don’t know anything about the SDGs.

Ethical actions taken by Japanese consumers

While the first two questions revealed low recognition of the key phrases, the next question showed the level of participants’ commitment towards sustainability and ethical consumption. In response to the question “What kind of ethical actions do you usually take?”, 89.4% mentioned some form of ethical or eco-friendly actions they practice.

Here are some example answers participants listed:

• Carry reusable shopping bags (70.6%)
• Buy refill packs if they’re available (64.1%)
• Buy animal-free products (22.3%)
• Avoid plastic-based products (17.2%)
• Buy artisanal products (12.6%)

Despite the fact that words like ethical and SDGs are not yet widely known in public, when you look at actions taken by individuals, you see a different side of the story. At the same time, each action are simple enough for anyone to take up.

While sustainability and SDGs might sound overwhelming, individuals can also take part in this long-term journey by making conscious decisions themselves. Coupled with efforts by companies and organizations, worldwide actions will surely bear fruit over time.