In Japan, dog meat is imported from China and sold in Korean supermarkets, and served in Korean and Chinese restaurants across the country. Japanese do not have the habit of eating dog meat. Dog eating should be banned in Japan.

Make cat and dog meat illegal for consumption in Japan

Target:

The government of Japan

Sponsored by:

Target: The House of Representatives, The House of Councilors, Ministry of Environment, Minister of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (of Japan)

The Japanese government is allowing the import of dog meat from China every year - 77 tons in year 2007.

The dog meat is sold in Korean supermarkets, and served in Korean and Chinese restaurants across the country.

You can even order dog meat dishes in the middle of Tokyo, Ikebukuro Chinatown.

Japanese people themselves do not have the habit of eating dog meat.
Dogs are treated as a part of their family.

Because of the Buddhist influence the Japanese did not have the habit of eating 4-legged animals for long time. The first law to prohibit meat consumption came into effect in 675 A.D and meat consumption was not even popular until 1970s.

Those foreigners who eat dogs, should respect our non dog-eating culture and should not consume dog meat in Japan either.

There are increasing number of Chinese immigrants in recent years. Especially under the rule of Democratic party - the new political party in power - more East-Asian immigrants are expected.

There may be more dog meat imported from China in the near future.

If each dog weigh 13kgs, there are 76 dead dogs in one ton, and about 6000 dead dogs in 77tons already!!

There was an incident that a Chinese factory worker caught a cat wandering on the street in central Japan. He took the cat home to cook and ate the cat. The cat could have been a family pet.

Some volunteer groups are worried that they have to be very careful when they put dogs for adoption. The dogs could be eaten!!

There is also a concern that puppy mills may start dog meat business and turn themselves into dog meat farms!

In 1999, three people were arrested selling cat meat in Okinawa prefecture. The reason they got caught was because they did not have a proper license to sell meat, not because it was illegal to sell cat meat.

In 2005, the head of 30 dogs were found in a moat in Central Tokyo. A Korean resident who owned a local butcher shop was mixing dog meat with other meat and selling it to the consumers without telling them that there were dog meat mixed in it.

These are just examples and there could be a lot more cases we may not be aware of.

Right now the Japanese law does not prohibit the meat of companion animals - dog and cat - for human consumption.

It also does not prohibit the import of dog and cat meat.

We would like to address these points to the Japanese government:
-prohibit the consumption of dog and cat meat by law
-prohibit the import of dog and cat products including meat, fur and the skin

Please send polite and respectful message to the government officials:

The House of Representatives:
The president: Mr. Takahiro Yokomichi webmaster@yokomichi.com
The vice president: Mr. Seishiroh Etoh info@seishiro.jp

The House of Councilors:
The president: Mr. Satsuki Eda satsuki@eda-jp.com
The vice president: Ms. Akiko Santoh akiko_santo01@sangiin.go.jp

Ministry of Environment:
https://www.env.go.jp/en/moemail/

Minister of Environment:
Mr. Sakihito Ozawa info@e-ozawa.net

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries:
https://www.contact.maff.go.jp/maff/form/114e.html

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries:
Mr. Hirotaka Akamatsu FAX:03-3593-7240

The import of dog meat by year
(unit:tons)
2003 dog meat:70 skin:6 fur:0
2004 dog meat:26 skin:9 fur:1
2005 dog meat:82 skin:5 fur:0
2006 dog meat:31 skin:5 fur:0
2007 dog meat:77 skin:1 fur:1

From Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Webite:
http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/tokei/pdf/19chikusanbutsu-kunibetsu.pdf