(Stock image/StockSnap from Pixabay)
このページを で読む
Ishin no Kai, the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, is working to pass a member-sponsored bill that would ban the consumption of dog and cat meat. As its name suggests, the bill would prohibit eating dogs and cats, as well as the import or raising of them for food.
While regulations against the practice have spread internationally, some Chinese restaurants in Japan still serve dog meat, raising concerns that foreign tourists may come to believe that dogs and cats can be eaten in Japan.
If passed, the ban would complement the Animal Welfare Act, and Ishin is seeking understanding from other parties—though the path forward is not simple.
Are Unsold Pet-Shop Dogs Being Sold for Meat?
In a November 26, 2019 session of the Lower House Special Committee on Consumer Affairs, an Ishin lawmaker—Seiichi Kushida, then a member of the lower house and now in the upper house—asked about imports of dog meat.
A health ministry official responded that reported dog meat imports declared as food included about 15 tons from China in fiscal 2014, about 18 tons from Vietnam in fiscal 2015, and about 20 tons from Vietnam in fiscal 2017.
The ministry says no dog meat imports have been confirmed since fiscal 2018, but data gathered by Ishin doesn't square with that account.
According to Ishin, at least 50 restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka currently serve dog meat. The party believes inbound tourism and foreign workers are driving demand, raising the question of how these restaurants source their meat.
Those familiar with the issue point to possibilities including meat smuggled in and mislabeled as pork or beef, unsold dogs from pet shops, or stray dogs caught in hunting traps such as leg-hold snares—though the full picture remains unclear.
Filling a Gap in the Animal Welfare Act
Article 44 of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals stipulates that anyone who "needlessly kills or injures" a protected animal, including dogs and cats, faces up to five years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥5 million (about $31,000).
Ishin holds the view that the phrase "needlessly kills" could be interpreted to permit killing an animal so long as the purpose—eating it—is clear.
This concern stems from a past case in which a graduate student who killed and ate a cat was arrested on suspicion of violating the act but was ultimately not indicted. Ishin says the proposed dog-and-cat-meat ban is meant to close this gap.
Preventing Dog Meat Tourism
Many countries—including Western nations that have no tradition of eating dogs or cats—have banned the consumption of such meat. There are concerns that Japan could come to be seen as a place where eating it remains legal, potentially attracting tourists for that reason.
In South Korea, a law banning the raising, slaughtering, and distribution of dogs for food was enacted in January 2024 and is set to take effect in February next year. Some within Ishin suggest that once the law is strictly enforced, dog-meat enthusiasts who can no longer eat it in South Korea might turn to Japan, where no such ban exists.
Preserving "Japan's traditional culture and spirit" of not eating the meat of dogs and cats, which are kept as companion animals, is also a key point of the bill.
At Ishin's request, the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and Komeito have registered the dog-and-cat-meat ban bill for review at a joint policy affairs council of the three parties.
LDP Wary of Whale, Horse Meat Impact
The Liberal Democratic Party's point of contact on the issue is the Parliamentary League for Animal Welfare, chaired by Seiko Noda, but the matter has not yet reached the party's formal Policy Research Council. According to Ishin, some LDP lawmakers with ties to agriculture and fisheries worry the bill could lead to bans on eating whale or horse meat.
Ishin hopes to secure broad cross-party support and have the bill submitted by the chair of the relevant standing committee. Winning the LDP's understanding is currently seen as the biggest hurdle.
Ishin adviser and lower house member Seiji Maehara, who has been calling on other parties to support the bill, said: "Banning the consumption of dog and cat meat is an international trend under law. Japan must make sure it doesn't become a haven for eating dogs and cats."
RELATED:
Dining with the Whale: A Night at LA BALENA NEL PARCO
(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Takao Harakawa, The Sankei Shimbun
このページを で読む
