Market Research Results for Ivory Substitutes
2025-09-01 / Last updated : 2025-09-01 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Japanese Consumers Choose Ivory Substitutes

Market Research Results for Ivory Substitutes The Japan Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS) conducted an online market research survey in August 2025. The results are as follows. – 88.3% of respondents answered, “There are no ivory products I want to buy or plan to buy in the future.” – 64.1% answered, “If a new material of the same quality as ivory were developed and sold at the same price as ivory, I would choose ivory substitutes.” – 63.6% answered, “I knew that elephants are killed for their ivory.” – People who choose ivory over substitutes tended to be unaware of the killing of elephants, while those who knew about the killing […]
The closure of Japan's domestic ivory market campaign
2025-03-12 / Last updated : 2025-03-12 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Be collecting signatures to be submitted to the House of Representatives on the closure of Japan’s domestic ivory market

A “Seigan-syo” (an official petition based on the Japanese Constitution) to be submitted to the House of Representatives on the closure of Japan’s domestic ivory market I. Points of the petition 1. Two African elephant species, symbols of international biodiversity conservation, are under threat from poaching for their ivory trade. As a result, African savannah elephants have declined by 60% over the past 50 years, and African forest elephants have declined by 86% over the past 31 years. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List assessed the risk of extinction of the two species as “very high”(EN) and “extremely high”(CR) respectively. 2. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of […]
If it was no longer possible to eat whale meat, how much would it affect your life?
2024-08-19 / Last updated : 2024-08-21 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Whaling awareness survey reveals that Japanese are turning away from whale meat

On August 14, the international NGO Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) released the results of a survey on awareness of whaling in Japan. For this survey, JWCS was in charge of commissioning a survey with a Japanese market research company on behalf of WDC. The online survey was conducted by a market research company with 1,000 people who are registered as respondents, and answered a questionnaire online. Respondents were split equally across gender and age groups, and the number of respondents was determined based on the population distribution of each regional block. All generations clearly turning away from whale meat When asked about whether they had purchased whale meat in […]
2024-06-05 / Last updated : 2024-06-05 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Against adding fin whales to the list of species subject to commercial whaling

Japan’s Fisheries Agency decided to include fin whales in its list of species for commercial whaling, and was inviting comments on the matter until June 5th. JWCS has submitted the following comment: Opinion: We are against adding fin whales to the list of species subject to commercial whaling. Reasons are as follows: 1. Endangered species should not be exploited commercially Fin whales are an endangered species listed as VULNERABLE (VU) on the IUCN Red List. The estimated number of mature individuals in 2018 was 100,000, about 45% of the 1940 level. Although the population has started to increase since whaling was reduced, it is still at a level that requires […]
2024-05-10 / Last updated : 2024-05-10 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

NGOs submit a request to the Minister of the Environment to close the domestic ivory market

Most ivory-consuming countries have closed their domestic markets, but in Japan you can still buy ivory legally on the shops. However, preparations have begun to revise Japan’s Act for Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The law regulate the ivory trade, and this is an opportunity for Japan to close its domestic ivory market with international cooperation. JWCS supported the request letter handed over to the Minister of the Environment by the Japan Tiger Elephant Conservation Fund (JTEF). EIA biog https://us.eia.org/blog/japan-is-revising-its-law-on-ivory-trade-time-to-finally-close-the-market/
2024-01-30 / Last updated : 2024-01-30 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Global coalition calls on Iridium to phase out the provision of GPS satellite services to companies that use harmful drifting Fish Aggregating Devices

Environmentalists and broadcasters Chris Packham, Hugh　Fearnley-Whittingstall, and Amanda Holden today called on a UK satellite company to stop providing GPS data to fisheries that puts vulnerable ocean species at risk of extinction. Seven senior lawmakers including Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb and Martyn Day MP have also signed a letter drawn up by more than 100 marine conservation groups, scientists, and global lawmakers calling on Iridium Satellite UK Ltd to stop profiting from the overfishing oftuna. JWCS has signed on to this letter.
2023-09-21 / Last updated : 2023-09-21 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Coexistence with bears: Raising awareness

According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, by the end of July 2023, there were 56 fatal accidents caused by bears, the highest number in the same period since 2010. In years when the number of bear infestations is high, human casualties tend to increase, especially in October, and this year, the Tohoku region is expected to have a poor harvest of acorns, which are eaten by bears before they hibernate, so caution is being urged. As part of the Wildlife College 2023 curriculum, JWCS held fieldwork in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture on August 5th and 6th to learn about damage prevention and conservation caused by Asiatic black bears. […]
2023-02-07 / Last updated : 2023-02-07 JWCS 管理者 JWCS Now

Request to the TMG to implement the recommendations of Advisory Council on Regulation of Ivory Trade

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Advisory Council on Regulation of Ivory Trade concluded on 29 March 2022 and compiled a report. Then, in October 2022, before the 19th Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP19), the TMG sent a letter to the national government “Re: Action on Tokyo’s Ivory Trade”. The letter requested stricter ivory trade management due to concerns about ivory being taken out of the country as a result of the increase in the number of people entering the country in the future. However, despite incidents of ivory illegally exported from Japan being seized in China, the Japanese Government did not change its assertion at the Conference of the […]