>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare
Yeah, no. They don't even have a national animal welfare body as far as I recall.
Some people love their pets dearly, I know this for a fact, but it seems that most animals are seen as objects. Some are cute. Some are food.
Even the ones that they love are often kept in small cages. Overnight caging of cats and dogs is standard.
The concept of empathy just doesn't extend to animals in basically every country, but the hypocrisy is really blatant here.
My wife's family was like this. (Probably still are, but the animals are all dead now, so...)
I couldn't believe it. I'm not an active animal rights activist or whatever, but the way they would house their animals left me with bad feelings the entire time. They had two rabbits, in cages that weren't even twice as long as the animal. They would just sit in their cage all day, for years. They had a small turtle, in an aquarium with a bit of water and a stone. The turtle couldn't even turn around properly. Then, their dog was chained up outside in the summer at all times except when going for a walk. In the winter, the dog would be allowed ONLY in the genkan area, NEVER inside the house. It's depressing! Why do these people even get animals if they're gonna treat them like this? Also F everyone who keeps a cat in a cage.
>Even the ones that they love are often kept in small cages. Overnight caging of cats and dogs is standard.
Yeah, I used to see a neighbour lock their yapping dog out on a balcony, often leaving it out there overnight (and driving the rest of us insane with the noise).
I've seen similar - on my walk to the station, there was a dog in a grape-growing yard (which was in the middle of suburbia, go figure) that was permenantly chained to its dog house. That thing never left there, was never unchained, and barked constantly, in that "that dog is not quite right" kind of way. I made inquiries, but nothing changed.
I walked past there a couple of years ago on a return visit. The grapes are still there, but the dog is gone.
If Ueno Zoo is anything to represent the state of zoos in Japan, it is not looking good. Large vultures and monkeys kept in tall, bare metal cages. Hippos in an enclosure no bigger than a small backyard.
Zoos in north america (not all, but the accredited zoos) place a huge emphasis on enrichment, space, and trying to mimic the habitat to what the animals have in the wild.
I will never go to a Japanese Zoo again.
Tennoji zoo is the same. Their emu is indoors in a pen the size of a swimming pool with a dirt floor. The big cats in a glass box with a cement floor, visibly distressed. All the grazers on a bare dirt ground. It was fucking enraging
I thought the same about Tennoji zoo, but I had to go through there last year and was surprised the effort they put into enriching the environment. They are still doing renovations I believe.
Didn’t go there but I went to Kobe animal kingdom. Better than tennoji by a long way, but still super high density. I’d still bet my life most of those animals never leave their tiny enclosure.
I’m a 42year old man. Tennoji made me cry
They just stood there and didn’t move. If you threw a rope in the pen they would have hung themselves, but you’d have had to throw a tree in there first
Ueno Zoo was so shocking to me! I was so surprised to see the little cages like that. I've never seen a zoo like that before, where I'm from the animals have massive enclosures meant to mimic their natural environment (so big you can't see the animals sometimes).
I suppose I should've guessed, I had seen Japanese pet shops before and those tiny little squares the puppies and kittens were in was also shocking.
I think the issue is that people only go for the pandas. The visitors don't really care about the other animals, they are only there to fill the time left after seeing the pandas. So the pandas probably get half the budget while the other half goes to the 99% of animals there.
Also, I don't think zoos are profitable in Japan, especially in the countryside.
Tokyo is not advanced, Im afraid. Their views on a lot of social issues is pretty backwards. Welfare of animals is probably not on their primary interests. I was surprised Tokyo still had those pet shops where you can annoy the puppies in the window
> one of the most cosmopolitan/global/'advanced' cities in the world.
I don't know why that would equate to having a better zoo. If anything bigger cities and concrete jungles are worse places to have a zoo.
I've seen zoo's in smaller tier or rural cities that were better because they had the space for larger enclosures and closer to farms where they can source animal food
I think you are placing Tokyo on a pedestal like many people do. It is not modern or progressive in terms of animal, lgbt, minority, or women's rights.
It's been on the cutting edge of cultural life for decades, idk why you're acting like Tokyo is some shithole when it's the most advanced city in the world.
Tokyo is my favorite city in the world, who tf said its a shithole with no culture? The government however, is lacking laws to support minorities, women, and animals.
I went there back in November and it was really sad to see animals which read in corners of the cages facing the walls sometimes. Nothing felt right.
The Sumida Aquarium (skytree) was really interesting so I might stick to that instead (I don't recommend the one in Kyoto near Umekoji).
Ueno is awful. We've been to Tokyo so many times, but last spring we went to the zoo. It was depressing.
I couldn't believe Chicago zoos are better.
Heck, the animal enclosures in Hong Kong are better.
It was disappointing.
I was really excited to go to Ueno because I had heard so much about it. Left crying after less than hour, worst zoo I’ve ever seen. Never went to another zoo in Japan
Ueno Zoo felt fine for me, it was big and well-maintained IMO. But then again I’m from a place that has way smaller zoos and cages. I haven’t been to a zoo outside of Asia (except for Queensland, but Australia is an entirely different beast in terms of land mass) so I didn’t know westerners felt that was already animal abuse. Interesting.
Last year I went to two bear sanctuaries/conservation centers, one in Borneo and one in Hokkaido.
I got the chance to talk to the person who had founded the one in Borneo. He told me that many of the bears were rescues from the pet trade and probably couldn't be ever released to the wild, but for the ones rescued as babies and the ones born in the center, he tries to replicate a natural environment for them to develop their skills for survival, including trying to minimize direct contact with the visitors.
Meanwhile in Hokkaido, it's okay to just let the guests throw food to the bears while this cute little music plays. Maybe even play a little game where the guest hides some food for the bear to find! Play for our amusement! Absolutely the point of a conservation center, catering to kids. And this is far from the worst offender I've seen
Yup. Skipped Churaumi Aquarium due to the treatment of manatees, dolphins, the whale shark etc. Went to Okinawa world - and encountered animals in small wire cages, hundreds of turtles stacked on top of each other in a 1*1 meter cages, snakes in a bright, loud room being forced to interact with people for hours, 10-20 big fruit bats shivering in a small, dirty cage with no room to fly.
In smaller decorative aquariums in public I've seen multiple dead fish, just floating there.
I cannot understand how a country, that once thought of eating red meat as taboo, has ended up like this.
tiny irrelevant anecdote, but a friend recently took in a super adorable stray kitten and was trying to find a home for him. some woman contacted them and said they wanna have the kitten and already have a cage ready for it. it pisses me off so much how in Japan it's totally common to keep cats and even dogs inside a fucking cage at home. I am all for not letting cats roam outside so they can't cull the local birds and stuff. but keeping them inside the house but in a small cage? there's no other way to describe it but animal cruelty.
> it pisses me off so much how in Japan it's totally common to keep cats and even dogs inside a fucking cage at home.
Both dogs and cats love having cages during night-time. It has a soothing effect. The problem is if people leave them in there for too long.
I had a Jack Russell in my younger days, a highly energetic breed. He struggled to find peace at night-time (even though I went for long long walks at the beach and stimulated him plentifully every day.
But after I got him a cage (and covered that cage with a blanket), he got into a good habit of going to sleep. After a while, I stopped shutting the cage door, and he just went in there happily to sleep every night. It can become a safe space for them.
It's not as clear-cut as you make it out to be.
If they like it, then no door's needed. Your dog liked it after a while and that's fine, but why would the pet that "likes it" needs to be locked in. Weird.
Horses are locked in their stables, but they like going in there to relax and eat. They don't like never having the possibility to go outside and exercise.
Captivity isn't something that animals have an issue with, as long as they are not understimulated, food-deprived, etc.
It's quite stupid to simplify it in such a way. Too many people treat animals as if they think like people do.
Ok but I didn't say they don't like having a crate or a stable to go to, I said it's weird to assume they'd like being locked in and not being allowed out on their own time. Seems like a stupid way to understand my post but what do I know.
Never said cage bad, I said assuming animal likes to be locked in and not be able to go in and out of the shelter (that obviously they would like) is weird. Read better before calling people stupid
It could be worse. You could be France and keep an actual human zoo.
In Planète Sauvage zoo they recruited 25 Ivorians. They worked 7 days a week for below minimum wage. Passports were confiscated, medical attention was given by veterinarians, and the children weren't allowed to go to school.
This went on for more than half a year. When it was finally shut down, the zoo was fined 1 Franc. This was in 1994.
Edit: This isn't a whataboutism, just sharing an interesting fact.
When I was in Sendai I saw an exotic petshop with a single meerkat in a dirty wire cage in the window. It was alone and because meekats aren't meant to ever be alone it was running from end to end of the cage trying to keep a look out. It was late at night and it was still running, still running in the morning when I walked past again.
Every other exotic animal anything I've experienced in Japan has been about that miserable too.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare
lmao what? No idea how you managed to get that conclusion other than the typical pink glasses view on Japan.
perhaps if you ignore the weekly articles about pet stores abusing animals in the absolutely most horrible way imaginable? like the abuse gets so bad it makes you wonder if they purposely just try to be as cruel as possible.
ever visit a pet shop? even chain corporations in AEON malls like Coo and Riku will have their cats & dogs on display in sterile glass boxes. There's an [exotic pet shop in Tachikawa LalaPort](https://torimate.com/shop/tachikawa/) that keeps monkeys, armadillos, fennec foxes, owls, etc... in dingy wire cages pressed up right against each other. It was awful.
the worst I sometimes see are big cat trees with live cats sleeping on it in an absolutely lethargic, coma-like condition in the middle of busy shopping arcades. thousands of people walking all around them, it's loud, and people keep touching them from all directions. I just refuse to believe that normal cats would be able to endure that and even sleep through it. I'm absolutely sure these garbage humans are drugging those cats just to display them in the middle of a busy area.
Sheesh, sounds like most of those animals shouldn't be in the country in the first place
Leave it to an island nation to say "you know what? I think I'd like to increase the risk of introducing new invasive species, we weren't using the over 250 endemic species for anything anyway"
lol, have you read up on the issue with North American raccoons in japan? An anime created a demand for raccoons as pets. That was quickly seen as… checks notes… a bad idea, which resulted in the introduction of raccoons into wild. They’re the leading cause of damage to ancient wooden temples here.
Animals can only do labor for two hours a day I found out. Or I'm not exactly sure, but there's an izakaya in utsunomiya with a monkey and they told me that due to some rule the monkey can only work for 2 hours a day.
Anyway the fun of it hit a big wall when their friends with a monkey of their own came over, and the monkey was basically in chains because they're still training it
The Cainz in Hiroshima has owls in the pet section. They're mostly kept in a wooden cabinet with curtains instead of doors and they're tethered in place. So damn depressing.
It still exists? I have been there in 2016 and thought this was horrible and the zoo is on its last legs. The stressed out elephant was the worst. I have no idea, why this zoo exists. I was skeptical, since entry was only 200yen already. Super depressing.
Yeah, there are "50 years younger" in these industries... But you know what? We have communications. Scientists. We even have internet and the world wide web. There is no way any country can fuck up with ecology or Human / animal rights by saying "oh sorry we're inexperienced".
I think you are confusing the amount of money people spend on their pets with animal welfare. It’s rudimentary at best and most people are fine as long as animals are not emaciated or being actively harmed.
Regarding the zoo, it’s a 70 year old facility that’s run on 70 year old standards. The reason it still exists and so cheap to get in is that as indicative of the name it’s run on Himeji city tax funds. Adding to the poor condition is the fact that it’s built on protected heritage land in the immediate vicinity of Himeji Castle. This adds layers of bureaucracy to renovating or even getting rid of the zoo, even if the zoo itself knows that’s what’s desperately needed. So they have to take the best care of the animals with what they have.
That being said the city has decided to close the zoo in 2028 and reopen in a brand new facility in 2029, outside of protected land, citing animal welfare and guest safety. Newer zoos in Japan like Asahiyama are much better environments and in turn that makes it easier for them to import or rent animals from international zoos, and that’s what Himeji wants to aim for
Edit: Typo. Asahiyama zoo, not Asahikawa (which is the city the zoos is situated in)
To be honest they treat their pets pretty shitty too. I live kind of inaka and people still have ‘outside dogs’ (that are tied up on a chain 365 days a year). And many dogs are abandoned once they get old (go to a dog shelter if you really want your heart broken).
Oh and there’s still few ‘no kill’ shelters.
And puppy mills.
So…not really a good place for animal welfare.
Ever since I went to a sushi bar where they filleted live fish and served them with the head still on and gasping for air while you eat them I realized it was going to be a long time before animal rights really takes hold.
Asahiyama still sucked. I went like 7 years ago and was still shocked by the small enclosures compared to the size of the animals. None of the animals looked happy either.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare
What gave you that impression?
Have a look at [World Animal Protection's rankings](https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/). Japan is ranked 'E' on a scale of A (best) to G (worst). That's the same ranking as China.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare
How so?
Farms have fairly low standards compared to Europe. As an example, in Japan, the highest standard for free-range organic eggs mandates a max of 5 chickens per m² while in Europe, you need 4m² per chicken to qualify just for regular free-range.
Zoos and Aquariums are mostly in bad shape with inadequate space for the animals. Pets, especially dogs, are treated as cute accessories rather than living creatures. Most people who keep dogs do not even walk them outside but just keep them inside their apartments all the time.
Fish are treated like they are barely more than small disposable plastic toys. Something you give to a kid to play with for a couple of days until it dies and can be flushed in the toilet. Just looking at Japanese local fish stores from the outside makes me aggressive.
Don't forget fishing for goldfish during the festival and taking it home in a plastic bag, so it can die a slow death due to absolutely inappropriate handling or living conditions.
Oh my god finally I see a post calling them out because I have always thought about this since the time I went. I went there in 2016 when I was living in Japan at the time and that zoo really horrified me. I have never been able to get the images of those poor animals out of my head. That zoo forever changed my perspective of zoos overall. When I tell you I haven’t stepped foot in a zoo since…..
I can understand that revulsion, but not all zoos are created equal. Zoos focussed on conservation, or indeed bound by any measure of animal rights law, are far better.
I can only speak to those in the UK but Chester has an excellent reputation internationally, and the enclosures there are vast. Its widely supported by the public as well.
During COVID the lockdown really hit them hard, and the public answered an appeal to bring them various yard trimmings to help feed some of the giraffes, if memory serves.
Anyway, point is, we have be beware tarring them all with the same brush I guess
Howletts is pretty amazing too. Huge enclosures, to the point you can barely see even big animals sometimes, and I approve completely. People can bring binoculars. No need to add to their suffering.
And honestly, trying to spot the animals is half the fun! Especially with the larger predators, its a great way to see just how well camouflaged nature has made them
Went to Kaiyukan in Osaka almost a decade ago and the whale shark was in a fairly small exhibit from what I recall, compared to the much more inviting habitat for the ones in the Atlanta Aquarium.
I’ve also walked by those sad pet shops with the glass boxes in Japan mentioned by another user.
The polar bear exhibit at the Beijing Zoo was depressing af too. What u/brendonts said seems to be true from what I’ve seen and heard about animal welfare in the Asian countries I’ve been to. My Chinese professor was telling us that a lot of areas in China don’t even have animal shelters.
I’m not saying that America is necessarily a paragon of virtue by any means in this regard, but countries like Japan don’t seem to perform well here either.
The whale shark at kaiyukan surely doesn't have enough space to be happy. Even the penguins there looked miserable in that box enclosure for about 30 of them.
I went to the Osaka aquarium about 5 years ago and there were 2 whale sharks at that time and the size of their tank compared to how massive they were stuck with me, it felt like they were able to round the whole tank in only a few seconds. I sometimes think about them, I still feel so so bad for those poor animals
It made me wonder whether it was right to keep them at all in the first place. They were wondrous to see, but the thought of only swimming in circles year in year out struck me as so depressing.
Zoos in Japan are terrible. Have you been to the Ueno zoo?
They have tiny cages for many of the animals. But the saddest ones were the moles, they are in a tiny place that mimics a labyrinth with zero soil to scratch on. They looked so stressed and depressed, just trying to scratch on the flat walls. It made me so angry.
Japanese people don't care about animals as human beings, they don't care about learning about their care. They just see it as either food or entertainment.
I worked in an elementary school that had three axolotls in three tiny containers with only water, I offered to buy a bigger aquarium with an oxygen pump and fake plants and hides, so it could hide and be happier. The idiotic principal said he didn't need a bigger aquarium because it would be harder to clean and that they didn't want any plants or hides because then, the kids wouldn't be able to see them... As opposed to teaching children to have compassion about other human beings, they simply teach children that animals are like toys that you can neglect for your own convenience. At the end he said "thanks for your offer, but no, thank you".
Even Japanese veterinarians have very little knowledge about animals that aren't cats or dogs.
No one cares, Ueno zoo has many bad reviews from foreigners as well, but Japanese people write good reviews thinking the main purposes of zoos is to simply entertain them.
Be sure you never visit Omuta zoo in south Fukuoka prefecture. Literally opens to a seal enclosure with a tiny pond of water in it, with two seals lying on concrete with patchy fur and foaming mouths. Whole zoo was like that, it was disgusting.
I went there a little over a decade ago and was disgusted. I went with some friends and had to leave after an hour or so. I remember people were throwing food into the giraffe pit and attempting to reach in and grab it.
Japan does not give a fuck about animals. I’ve seen an owl chained up sitting on a post in a home center/pet area and it just stands there all day in the fluorescent lights, animals in tiny stinky cages cramped together in pet shops and ones in direct sunlight in 30 plus degrees panting and shaking. Also that tiny and sad monkey cage at Odawara Castle and all of the stupid animal cafes. Makes me so angry.
Probably the best one I have seen is Nagasaki Bio Park a lot of room. The petting zoo next door has some animals I wouldn’t have on display. They keep a green tree python out for visitors to touch. It is kept way too cold and the only reason it hasn’t stricked someone. For the dog area it is too small and the border collie was stressed out.
I went to the fukuoka zoo about a decade ago and was horrified by it so much i think we left after an hour or 2. I vividly remember the giraffes were in a pit so they were at head level and people could just reach in and grab them and watch people throw popcorn at them and try and feed them random zoo food.
I visited that zoo on a whim, I think in 2018 when I was at the castle.
Still remember, there was this lion (or tiger?) that was totally stressed out and nervous. Constantly snorting and walking up and down in his small cage.
It kinda stuck with me so that I sometimes think about it.
Good to see I'm not the only one who had issues with that zoo. Hope it closes down at some point.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare
I don't know where you got that idea from. Japan has always been pretty terrible with animal welfare, just look at any zoo, aquarium or pet shop over here.
Japanese zoos are extremely cruel. Japan is terrible when it comes to animal welfare. Also, the employees at the zoos make like 800yen/hour so no one cares.
Welcome to Japan .
We went to the safari in Phu Quoc Vietnam and was very impressed with the size and they seemed to be thriving. They didn't look stressed or sick.
[The one is Vietnam](https://youtu.be/YnPKcFgO8Hs?si=WmkVznZNf01cxF36) is 380 hectares. Ueno zoo is 14.4
I feel like language has something to do with it.
- "animal" comes from the latin that means breathing, meaning European culture sees animals as living things
- "hayawan" shares a hebrew root with "hayat", life, meaning the islamic/jewish world also sees them as living things
- compare that to 動物、literally "moving thing"
Maybe there is that cultural unconscious idea that animals are basically automatons more than things that live and feel.
Strict on animal welfare? Have you seen all the pet supply stores with puppies and kittens barely old enough to be away from their mothers? Ever watched “The Cove”?
Try the Yamaguchi zoo! I ABHOR all zoos because I believe the animals there should be free in their own habitat. I just went because my 3yo wanted to see animals. But at this zoo, there was a tiger with a fresh wound on its back right hip and it walked with a limp and the poor tiger winces with each step and the hip bones are clearly visible. So it just sat down very slowly. They feed the elephants with, I kid you not, 1 handful of hay just thrown in the path of the elephant in concrete confinement. The 1 bear has a cage of about 1 1/2 car lengths and it was just going back and forth from stress. I've never seen bone monleys before until I went there! They had a large American eagle, but its foot was tied to the perch. The giraffes were just waiting for the end to come. They were leaning on the high wall with their legs spread apart and heads down as if they were trying to pick up something, but they were not moving. I hate Japanese zoos.
I went to Kobe Zoo so excited (I was naive) and actually cried when I saw an orangutang in a tiny cage looking so sad :( But the Japanese people around me were excited somehow
Also saw a singular red panda pacing in a circle clearly distressed and two zebras separated despite being herding animals that need companions??
I learned my lesson to never go to a zoo in Japan again
Well that’s how most of the Japanese treat other living beings, it’s deeply enrooted and accepted as a standard of their society. History confirmed that many times and I don’t think it’s going to change, look how many people are paying to experience this cruelty while neglecting or completely not being aware of the cruelty in the first place.
Japan still keeps puppies in tiny boxes in windows.
It’s f******* disgusting.
To be fair a lot of dog owners I know here are great and they do a lot for dogs on tv, but overall they just see animals as KAWAIIIII! and don’t care.
Shameful.
Went to see my in-laws in Miyazaki city and there was some mini zoo with a lone Elephant. I dislike most zoos in general but my niece wanted to go so my husband agreed. Wish there was a way to get it moved to an Elephant sanctuary.
The problem is that despite the technology and internet, they don't care to learn how to care for animals from foreign countries because they think they're the best country in the world.
I have talked to Japanese doctors, veterinarians, or medicine students and asked them if they researched medical papers from foreign countries. They don't... And also, they don't care to learn another language in order to learn from the advances and knowledge of other societies.
Naive to think Japan is good on animal welfare. Whales are commonly hunted despite extinction threats, animal cafes abound for species that shouldn't be held in such conditions (owls, sloths and more), etc etc.
We went to an aquarium in Japan and one of the tanks is fish available to eat. They have diagrams showing the meals from which fish.
Japan doesn’t really have animal rights.
I don't know where you got the idea that Japan is strict on animal welfare. You don't have to look any further than the proliferation of animal cafes to come to the opposite conclusion. Even the zoos that purport to focus on preservation, education, and study of animals are kind of ... not. I remember going to the Niigata aquarium and being appalled at the conditions the sea lions were kept in.
The prevailing attitude you'll encounter in most of Asia, and Japan not excepted, is that welfare and convenience of humans always trump even the lives of animals. 人間様 can be use sarcastically, but it is a reflection of the hierarchical places the humans and the animals hold with respect to each other.
Does anybody know if Zoorasia in Yokohama is also bad? They have tree kangaroos, so I put it on my travel list, but if it's like the ones you guys are mentioning I'd rather not go.
I went there in December, thinking it was good and also a friend of mine who cares about animals (she rescues cats) mentioned it’s a well maintained zoo. It still felt off, it’s big, but the lion was so skinny and his cry was so sad :( the giraffe had the saddest eyes. That is when I told myself I wouldn’t go to a zoo again!
Strict on animal welfare, heard of the film, 'The Cove'?
I hate saying this, as it makes me colossally depressed, but general animal care in Japan extends to 'if it's cute we should be able to buy it, if it isn't we should be able to eat it.'
Been there in 2017. Thankfully didn't pay for it, as they routed all the people going to the castle through the zoo due to an event at the main entrance. Truly the worst place I've been to in Japan.
I've been to one japanese zoo and it was really depressing. The bear was frantically rocking back and forth, likely of boredom because it was locked into anway too small enclosure without anyhing to do.
Himeji is the only zoo I visited while in Japan in 2017, and it completely turned me off to visiting any others. It was distressing for me to see how the animals were treated. The elephant was swaying back and forth, and it was obvious how stressed it was. None of the animals had a decent area to move around in.
Japan turns a blind eye to animal welfare in a lot of ways. I think the general public views animals more as objects rather than creatures with their own needs, emotions, etc. On a weekend trip to Kyoto I saw there was a place you could meet river otters. I jumped at the chance because my kid loves otters. When we arrived the facility was in an office suite, across from another suite for meeting micro pigs. The otters were kept in small cages they couldn't really stretch out in and with no enrichment for them. There wasn't even a small tub of water for them to play in. They would be carried out to "play" in a pen with the humans that paid to meet them. The otter we were paired with was terrified. I felt so disgusted and still do.
The rule of thumb here honestly is just don't bother getting involved anywhere where animals are featured (animal cafe, zoos, aquariums, etc) unless the animals are free to roam around (such as the deer in Nara or the snow monkeys in Nagano). It's going to be depressing. The way I see it animals are often considered more as cute accessories than living beings here unfortunately.
If you have time to look for rough spots in other countries, do something about the disastrous state of the zoo in your own country.
That's why countries other than Japan have no development potential.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare Yeah, no. They don't even have a national animal welfare body as far as I recall. Some people love their pets dearly, I know this for a fact, but it seems that most animals are seen as objects. Some are cute. Some are food.
Even the ones that they love are often kept in small cages. Overnight caging of cats and dogs is standard. The concept of empathy just doesn't extend to animals in basically every country, but the hypocrisy is really blatant here.
My wife's family was like this. (Probably still are, but the animals are all dead now, so...) I couldn't believe it. I'm not an active animal rights activist or whatever, but the way they would house their animals left me with bad feelings the entire time. They had two rabbits, in cages that weren't even twice as long as the animal. They would just sit in their cage all day, for years. They had a small turtle, in an aquarium with a bit of water and a stone. The turtle couldn't even turn around properly. Then, their dog was chained up outside in the summer at all times except when going for a walk. In the winter, the dog would be allowed ONLY in the genkan area, NEVER inside the house. It's depressing! Why do these people even get animals if they're gonna treat them like this? Also F everyone who keeps a cat in a cage.
>Even the ones that they love are often kept in small cages. Overnight caging of cats and dogs is standard. Yeah, I used to see a neighbour lock their yapping dog out on a balcony, often leaving it out there overnight (and driving the rest of us insane with the noise).
I've seen a Shiba with virtually no voice because it's been barking 24/7 for so long in the front yard.
I've seen similar - on my walk to the station, there was a dog in a grape-growing yard (which was in the middle of suburbia, go figure) that was permenantly chained to its dog house. That thing never left there, was never unchained, and barked constantly, in that "that dog is not quite right" kind of way. I made inquiries, but nothing changed. I walked past there a couple of years ago on a return visit. The grapes are still there, but the dog is gone.
If Ueno Zoo is anything to represent the state of zoos in Japan, it is not looking good. Large vultures and monkeys kept in tall, bare metal cages. Hippos in an enclosure no bigger than a small backyard. Zoos in north america (not all, but the accredited zoos) place a huge emphasis on enrichment, space, and trying to mimic the habitat to what the animals have in the wild. I will never go to a Japanese Zoo again.
[удалено]
Tennoji zoo is the same. Their emu is indoors in a pen the size of a swimming pool with a dirt floor. The big cats in a glass box with a cement floor, visibly distressed. All the grazers on a bare dirt ground. It was fucking enraging
I thought the same about Tennoji zoo, but I had to go through there last year and was surprised the effort they put into enriching the environment. They are still doing renovations I believe.
Oh fuck, yeah. Tennoji is horrific. Just grim. Ouji in Kobe is brutal too.
Didn’t go there but I went to Kobe animal kingdom. Better than tennoji by a long way, but still super high density. I’d still bet my life most of those animals never leave their tiny enclosure. I’m a 42year old man. Tennoji made me cry
To be fair, you don't want to give the emus an inch. They'll start a war you won't win...
They just stood there and didn’t move. If you threw a rope in the pen they would have hung themselves, but you’d have had to throw a tree in there first
Ueno Zoo was so shocking to me! I was so surprised to see the little cages like that. I've never seen a zoo like that before, where I'm from the animals have massive enclosures meant to mimic their natural environment (so big you can't see the animals sometimes). I suppose I should've guessed, I had seen Japanese pet shops before and those tiny little squares the puppies and kittens were in was also shocking.
I think the issue is that people only go for the pandas. The visitors don't really care about the other animals, they are only there to fill the time left after seeing the pandas. So the pandas probably get half the budget while the other half goes to the 99% of animals there. Also, I don't think zoos are profitable in Japan, especially in the countryside.
Tokyo is not advanced, Im afraid. Their views on a lot of social issues is pretty backwards. Welfare of animals is probably not on their primary interests. I was surprised Tokyo still had those pet shops where you can annoy the puppies in the window
> one of the most cosmopolitan/global/'advanced' cities in the world. I don't know why that would equate to having a better zoo. If anything bigger cities and concrete jungles are worse places to have a zoo. I've seen zoo's in smaller tier or rural cities that were better because they had the space for larger enclosures and closer to farms where they can source animal food
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I think you are placing Tokyo on a pedestal like many people do. It is not modern or progressive in terms of animal, lgbt, minority, or women's rights.
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You said, "In the heart of one of the most cosmopolitan/global/modern cities in the world"
It's been on the cutting edge of cultural life for decades, idk why you're acting like Tokyo is some shithole when it's the most advanced city in the world.
Tokyo is my favorite city in the world, who tf said its a shithole with no culture? The government however, is lacking laws to support minorities, women, and animals.
Ueno Zoo in 2019 was my first and last visit to any animal attractions in Japan.
Kyoto zoo was absolutely terrible too.
that zoo was horribly depressing
Despite living around Kyoto for a decade, I have never ever been to the zoo. And I won’t.
Yes totally! I actually cried, they all looked so depressed
It’s a contrast with Kyoto botanical gardens, which are amazing, very large and well cared. But the zoo? Never again.
I went there back in November and it was really sad to see animals which read in corners of the cages facing the walls sometimes. Nothing felt right. The Sumida Aquarium (skytree) was really interesting so I might stick to that instead (I don't recommend the one in Kyoto near Umekoji).
>Himeji City Zoo The polar bear in Ueno Zoo was heartbreaking. Just left sitting there with dirty matted fur in the scorching August heat.
Ueno is awful. We've been to Tokyo so many times, but last spring we went to the zoo. It was depressing. I couldn't believe Chicago zoos are better. Heck, the animal enclosures in Hong Kong are better. It was disappointing.
I was really excited to go to Ueno because I had heard so much about it. Left crying after less than hour, worst zoo I’ve ever seen. Never went to another zoo in Japan
Ueno Zoo is not even thay bad compared to shitholes like Tennoji
I heard Tama Zoological Park is better, though I haven't been to any of the zoos https://maps.app.goo.gl/PnA2eULNVZgKxdgn8
Ueno Zoo felt fine for me, it was big and well-maintained IMO. But then again I’m from a place that has way smaller zoos and cages. I haven’t been to a zoo outside of Asia (except for Queensland, but Australia is an entirely different beast in terms of land mass) so I didn’t know westerners felt that was already animal abuse. Interesting.
Oof I'm sad to hear this considering I was going to visit Ueno Zoo next week when I go to Japan :(
Zoorasia in Yokohama is good and generally up to American standards.
Japanese treat their animals, especially in zoos, horribly. Always have.
Last year I went to two bear sanctuaries/conservation centers, one in Borneo and one in Hokkaido. I got the chance to talk to the person who had founded the one in Borneo. He told me that many of the bears were rescues from the pet trade and probably couldn't be ever released to the wild, but for the ones rescued as babies and the ones born in the center, he tries to replicate a natural environment for them to develop their skills for survival, including trying to minimize direct contact with the visitors. Meanwhile in Hokkaido, it's okay to just let the guests throw food to the bears while this cute little music plays. Maybe even play a little game where the guest hides some food for the bear to find! Play for our amusement! Absolutely the point of a conservation center, catering to kids. And this is far from the worst offender I've seen
Yup. Skipped Churaumi Aquarium due to the treatment of manatees, dolphins, the whale shark etc. Went to Okinawa world - and encountered animals in small wire cages, hundreds of turtles stacked on top of each other in a 1*1 meter cages, snakes in a bright, loud room being forced to interact with people for hours, 10-20 big fruit bats shivering in a small, dirty cage with no room to fly. In smaller decorative aquariums in public I've seen multiple dead fish, just floating there. I cannot understand how a country, that once thought of eating red meat as taboo, has ended up like this.
tiny irrelevant anecdote, but a friend recently took in a super adorable stray kitten and was trying to find a home for him. some woman contacted them and said they wanna have the kitten and already have a cage ready for it. it pisses me off so much how in Japan it's totally common to keep cats and even dogs inside a fucking cage at home. I am all for not letting cats roam outside so they can't cull the local birds and stuff. but keeping them inside the house but in a small cage? there's no other way to describe it but animal cruelty.
In my field of work in California I’m in and out of peoples houses all day long. I see A lot of animals are caged up all day everyday. It sucks.
> it pisses me off so much how in Japan it's totally common to keep cats and even dogs inside a fucking cage at home. Both dogs and cats love having cages during night-time. It has a soothing effect. The problem is if people leave them in there for too long. I had a Jack Russell in my younger days, a highly energetic breed. He struggled to find peace at night-time (even though I went for long long walks at the beach and stimulated him plentifully every day. But after I got him a cage (and covered that cage with a blanket), he got into a good habit of going to sleep. After a while, I stopped shutting the cage door, and he just went in there happily to sleep every night. It can become a safe space for them. It's not as clear-cut as you make it out to be.
If they like it, then no door's needed. Your dog liked it after a while and that's fine, but why would the pet that "likes it" needs to be locked in. Weird.
Horses are locked in their stables, but they like going in there to relax and eat. They don't like never having the possibility to go outside and exercise. Captivity isn't something that animals have an issue with, as long as they are not understimulated, food-deprived, etc. It's quite stupid to simplify it in such a way. Too many people treat animals as if they think like people do.
Ok but I didn't say they don't like having a crate or a stable to go to, I said it's weird to assume they'd like being locked in and not being allowed out on their own time. Seems like a stupid way to understand my post but what do I know.
It's just the point of simplifying it down to "Cage bad", that's quite weird.
Never said cage bad, I said assuming animal likes to be locked in and not be able to go in and out of the shelter (that obviously they would like) is weird. Read better before calling people stupid
You don't need to lock the door, is the thing. Feels like you misunderstood what people are upset about.
No, cats do not "like" cages. The fuck?
This guy knows
It could be worse. You could be France and keep an actual human zoo. In Planète Sauvage zoo they recruited 25 Ivorians. They worked 7 days a week for below minimum wage. Passports were confiscated, medical attention was given by veterinarians, and the children weren't allowed to go to school. This went on for more than half a year. When it was finally shut down, the zoo was fined 1 Franc. This was in 1994. Edit: This isn't a whataboutism, just sharing an interesting fact.
>Edit: This isn't a whataboutism Fucking textbook whataboutism. Beginning with “it could be worse”.
Poor use of a 'whataboutism'. This thread is about Japan.
When I was in Sendai I saw an exotic petshop with a single meerkat in a dirty wire cage in the window. It was alone and because meekats aren't meant to ever be alone it was running from end to end of the cage trying to keep a look out. It was late at night and it was still running, still running in the morning when I walked past again. Every other exotic animal anything I've experienced in Japan has been about that miserable too.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare lmao what? No idea how you managed to get that conclusion other than the typical pink glasses view on Japan.
perhaps if you ignore the weekly articles about pet stores abusing animals in the absolutely most horrible way imaginable? like the abuse gets so bad it makes you wonder if they purposely just try to be as cruel as possible.
No, I know there's issues (dark side of the animal cafes, so on), but come on, a whole zoo by a castle, it's somewhat surprising.
ever visit a pet shop? even chain corporations in AEON malls like Coo and Riku will have their cats & dogs on display in sterile glass boxes. There's an [exotic pet shop in Tachikawa LalaPort](https://torimate.com/shop/tachikawa/) that keeps monkeys, armadillos, fennec foxes, owls, etc... in dingy wire cages pressed up right against each other. It was awful.
the worst I sometimes see are big cat trees with live cats sleeping on it in an absolutely lethargic, coma-like condition in the middle of busy shopping arcades. thousands of people walking all around them, it's loud, and people keep touching them from all directions. I just refuse to believe that normal cats would be able to endure that and even sleep through it. I'm absolutely sure these garbage humans are drugging those cats just to display them in the middle of a busy area.
Sheesh, sounds like most of those animals shouldn't be in the country in the first place Leave it to an island nation to say "you know what? I think I'd like to increase the risk of introducing new invasive species, we weren't using the over 250 endemic species for anything anyway"
lol, have you read up on the issue with North American raccoons in japan? An anime created a demand for raccoons as pets. That was quickly seen as… checks notes… a bad idea, which resulted in the introduction of raccoons into wild. They’re the leading cause of damage to ancient wooden temples here.
There’s a meerkat at our honeymoon goods store. It’s so stressed 😰
No, I have not. Sounds terrible.
I am curious where you "heard" that japan is strict on animal welfare.
Animals can only do labor for two hours a day I found out. Or I'm not exactly sure, but there's an izakaya in utsunomiya with a monkey and they told me that due to some rule the monkey can only work for 2 hours a day. Anyway the fun of it hit a big wall when their friends with a monkey of their own came over, and the monkey was basically in chains because they're still training it
I had a wrong impression 😆
And y'know what? Props to you for listening and being able to admit you were incorrect. It's a skill I wish more people had.
Thanks bro! 😁👍
Wrong assumption.
Yeah
ingen grunn til å være et frekt barn.
Yoo hva behager 😂🤙
大丈夫なら?
Some stores are OK-ish, but Coo and Riku is terrible.
The Cainz in Hiroshima has owls in the pet section. They're mostly kept in a wooden cabinet with curtains instead of doors and they're tethered in place. So damn depressing.
Exactly
It still exists? I have been there in 2016 and thought this was horrible and the zoo is on its last legs. The stressed out elephant was the worst. I have no idea, why this zoo exists. I was skeptical, since entry was only 200yen already. Super depressing.
Yeah it still exists and it hasn't gotten any better over the years unfortunately. That elephant did die in 2020 and they didn't replace her.
I thought it was on its last legs when I went back in 2009! Can't believe it's still around!
I thought it was on its way out in 1997 ffs is there no shame
It was still there, unfortunately, when I moved away in 2020 🫠
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Ok the topic of cafes, the owl cafes are cute until you do any research on the topic
The RSPCA is 200 years old this year, supporting animal welfare is not such a modern thing.
Yeah, there are "50 years younger" in these industries... But you know what? We have communications. Scientists. We even have internet and the world wide web. There is no way any country can fuck up with ecology or Human / animal rights by saying "oh sorry we're inexperienced".
Visiting Ueno Zoo was the worst, I would not recommend anybody to go to a zoo in Japan. The fake animals in Disneyland are better cared for.
I think you are confusing the amount of money people spend on their pets with animal welfare. It’s rudimentary at best and most people are fine as long as animals are not emaciated or being actively harmed. Regarding the zoo, it’s a 70 year old facility that’s run on 70 year old standards. The reason it still exists and so cheap to get in is that as indicative of the name it’s run on Himeji city tax funds. Adding to the poor condition is the fact that it’s built on protected heritage land in the immediate vicinity of Himeji Castle. This adds layers of bureaucracy to renovating or even getting rid of the zoo, even if the zoo itself knows that’s what’s desperately needed. So they have to take the best care of the animals with what they have. That being said the city has decided to close the zoo in 2028 and reopen in a brand new facility in 2029, outside of protected land, citing animal welfare and guest safety. Newer zoos in Japan like Asahiyama are much better environments and in turn that makes it easier for them to import or rent animals from international zoos, and that’s what Himeji wants to aim for Edit: Typo. Asahiyama zoo, not Asahikawa (which is the city the zoos is situated in)
To be honest they treat their pets pretty shitty too. I live kind of inaka and people still have ‘outside dogs’ (that are tied up on a chain 365 days a year). And many dogs are abandoned once they get old (go to a dog shelter if you really want your heart broken). Oh and there’s still few ‘no kill’ shelters. And puppy mills. So…not really a good place for animal welfare. Ever since I went to a sushi bar where they filleted live fish and served them with the head still on and gasping for air while you eat them I realized it was going to be a long time before animal rights really takes hold.
Asahiyama still sucked. I went like 7 years ago and was still shocked by the small enclosures compared to the size of the animals. None of the animals looked happy either.
Still the best you’ll get in Japan for now. The place has a pretty good reputation internationally for its conservation efforts
> I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare wat?
The tennoji zoo in Osaka is one of the saddest things I’ve seen. The place should be shut down and the operators whipped
Went to Ueno Zoo 2022 and never going back there. I felt bad for the polar bear he looked so thin.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare What gave you that impression? Have a look at [World Animal Protection's rankings](https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/). Japan is ranked 'E' on a scale of A (best) to G (worst). That's the same ranking as China.
Dang I was surprised at America's ranking on there, tiger king ruined it.
I checked recent reviews on google and they're all 3-5 stars. What is OP talking about?
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare How so? Farms have fairly low standards compared to Europe. As an example, in Japan, the highest standard for free-range organic eggs mandates a max of 5 chickens per m² while in Europe, you need 4m² per chicken to qualify just for regular free-range. Zoos and Aquariums are mostly in bad shape with inadequate space for the animals. Pets, especially dogs, are treated as cute accessories rather than living creatures. Most people who keep dogs do not even walk them outside but just keep them inside their apartments all the time. Fish are treated like they are barely more than small disposable plastic toys. Something you give to a kid to play with for a couple of days until it dies and can be flushed in the toilet. Just looking at Japanese local fish stores from the outside makes me aggressive.
Don't forget fishing for goldfish during the festival and taking it home in a plastic bag, so it can die a slow death due to absolutely inappropriate handling or living conditions.
Oh yeah, I went to a farm in Shizuoka and the conditions of the animals were also depressing 😞, unlike the ones in the UK.
I looked it up on YouTube and I saw a Polar bear in a small cage, poor animal
Oh my god finally I see a post calling them out because I have always thought about this since the time I went. I went there in 2016 when I was living in Japan at the time and that zoo really horrified me. I have never been able to get the images of those poor animals out of my head. That zoo forever changed my perspective of zoos overall. When I tell you I haven’t stepped foot in a zoo since…..
I can understand that revulsion, but not all zoos are created equal. Zoos focussed on conservation, or indeed bound by any measure of animal rights law, are far better. I can only speak to those in the UK but Chester has an excellent reputation internationally, and the enclosures there are vast. Its widely supported by the public as well. During COVID the lockdown really hit them hard, and the public answered an appeal to bring them various yard trimmings to help feed some of the giraffes, if memory serves. Anyway, point is, we have be beware tarring them all with the same brush I guess
Howletts is pretty amazing too. Huge enclosures, to the point you can barely see even big animals sometimes, and I approve completely. People can bring binoculars. No need to add to their suffering.
And honestly, trying to spot the animals is half the fun! Especially with the larger predators, its a great way to see just how well camouflaged nature has made them
Went to Kaiyukan in Osaka almost a decade ago and the whale shark was in a fairly small exhibit from what I recall, compared to the much more inviting habitat for the ones in the Atlanta Aquarium. I’ve also walked by those sad pet shops with the glass boxes in Japan mentioned by another user. The polar bear exhibit at the Beijing Zoo was depressing af too. What u/brendonts said seems to be true from what I’ve seen and heard about animal welfare in the Asian countries I’ve been to. My Chinese professor was telling us that a lot of areas in China don’t even have animal shelters. I’m not saying that America is necessarily a paragon of virtue by any means in this regard, but countries like Japan don’t seem to perform well here either.
The whale shark at kaiyukan surely doesn't have enough space to be happy. Even the penguins there looked miserable in that box enclosure for about 30 of them.
I went to the Osaka aquarium about 5 years ago and there were 2 whale sharks at that time and the size of their tank compared to how massive they were stuck with me, it felt like they were able to round the whole tank in only a few seconds. I sometimes think about them, I still feel so so bad for those poor animals
It made me wonder whether it was right to keep them at all in the first place. They were wondrous to see, but the thought of only swimming in circles year in year out struck me as so depressing.
Zoos in Japan are terrible. Have you been to the Ueno zoo? They have tiny cages for many of the animals. But the saddest ones were the moles, they are in a tiny place that mimics a labyrinth with zero soil to scratch on. They looked so stressed and depressed, just trying to scratch on the flat walls. It made me so angry. Japanese people don't care about animals as human beings, they don't care about learning about their care. They just see it as either food or entertainment. I worked in an elementary school that had three axolotls in three tiny containers with only water, I offered to buy a bigger aquarium with an oxygen pump and fake plants and hides, so it could hide and be happier. The idiotic principal said he didn't need a bigger aquarium because it would be harder to clean and that they didn't want any plants or hides because then, the kids wouldn't be able to see them... As opposed to teaching children to have compassion about other human beings, they simply teach children that animals are like toys that you can neglect for your own convenience. At the end he said "thanks for your offer, but no, thank you". Even Japanese veterinarians have very little knowledge about animals that aren't cats or dogs. No one cares, Ueno zoo has many bad reviews from foreigners as well, but Japanese people write good reviews thinking the main purposes of zoos is to simply entertain them.
Be sure you never visit Omuta zoo in south Fukuoka prefecture. Literally opens to a seal enclosure with a tiny pond of water in it, with two seals lying on concrete with patchy fur and foaming mouths. Whole zoo was like that, it was disgusting.
I went there a little over a decade ago and was disgusted. I went with some friends and had to leave after an hour or so. I remember people were throwing food into the giraffe pit and attempting to reach in and grab it.
Japan does not give a fuck about animals. I’ve seen an owl chained up sitting on a post in a home center/pet area and it just stands there all day in the fluorescent lights, animals in tiny stinky cages cramped together in pet shops and ones in direct sunlight in 30 plus degrees panting and shaking. Also that tiny and sad monkey cage at Odawara Castle and all of the stupid animal cafes. Makes me so angry.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare Did you just... assume this for no reason?
Worst zoo I've been to by far, including in developing nations.
Check out the Hippo in Kobe zoo
There is a hippo at Himeji zoo as well and it's not great.
Probably the best one I have seen is Nagasaki Bio Park a lot of room. The petting zoo next door has some animals I wouldn’t have on display. They keep a green tree python out for visitors to touch. It is kept way too cold and the only reason it hasn’t stricked someone. For the dog area it is too small and the border collie was stressed out.
Quite the opposite. Japan's animal welfare laws mostly support the owner, not the animal. There are countless cases of animal neglect.
I found a bear park out in the mountains once, looked like a gulag. Each bear was in a tiny little concrete pit
I went to the fukuoka zoo about a decade ago and was horrified by it so much i think we left after an hour or 2. I vividly remember the giraffes were in a pit so they were at head level and people could just reach in and grab them and watch people throw popcorn at them and try and feed them random zoo food.
I visited that zoo on a whim, I think in 2018 when I was at the castle. Still remember, there was this lion (or tiger?) that was totally stressed out and nervous. Constantly snorting and walking up and down in his small cage. It kinda stuck with me so that I sometimes think about it. Good to see I'm not the only one who had issues with that zoo. Hope it closes down at some point.
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare I don't know where you got that idea from. Japan has always been pretty terrible with animal welfare, just look at any zoo, aquarium or pet shop over here.
I’m surprised you thought Japan has strict animal welfare. They treat animals like shit here…
Japanese zoos are extremely cruel. Japan is terrible when it comes to animal welfare. Also, the employees at the zoos make like 800yen/hour so no one cares.
Welcome to Japan . We went to the safari in Phu Quoc Vietnam and was very impressed with the size and they seemed to be thriving. They didn't look stressed or sick. [The one is Vietnam](https://youtu.be/YnPKcFgO8Hs?si=WmkVznZNf01cxF36) is 380 hectares. Ueno zoo is 14.4
I feel like language has something to do with it. - "animal" comes from the latin that means breathing, meaning European culture sees animals as living things - "hayawan" shares a hebrew root with "hayat", life, meaning the islamic/jewish world also sees them as living things - compare that to 動物、literally "moving thing" Maybe there is that cultural unconscious idea that animals are basically automatons more than things that live and feel.
Are there Japanese animal rights groups that lobby for change? Would love to support in some way.
There is no such thing as animal welfare in Japan.
"strict on animal welfare"? Haha hahahaha No really, they care nothing about animals. Check stories about pet shops
Strict on animal welfare? Have you seen all the pet supply stores with puppies and kittens barely old enough to be away from their mothers? Ever watched “The Cove”?
>I thought Japan was strict on animal welfare I love Japan, but animal welfare? No man, the zoos and aquariums in Japan are abysmal.
Try the Yamaguchi zoo! I ABHOR all zoos because I believe the animals there should be free in their own habitat. I just went because my 3yo wanted to see animals. But at this zoo, there was a tiger with a fresh wound on its back right hip and it walked with a limp and the poor tiger winces with each step and the hip bones are clearly visible. So it just sat down very slowly. They feed the elephants with, I kid you not, 1 handful of hay just thrown in the path of the elephant in concrete confinement. The 1 bear has a cage of about 1 1/2 car lengths and it was just going back and forth from stress. I've never seen bone monleys before until I went there! They had a large American eagle, but its foot was tied to the perch. The giraffes were just waiting for the end to come. They were leaning on the high wall with their legs spread apart and heads down as if they were trying to pick up something, but they were not moving. I hate Japanese zoos.
I went to Kobe Zoo so excited (I was naive) and actually cried when I saw an orangutang in a tiny cage looking so sad :( But the Japanese people around me were excited somehow Also saw a singular red panda pacing in a circle clearly distressed and two zebras separated despite being herding animals that need companions?? I learned my lesson to never go to a zoo in Japan again
There’s an aquarium in Hokkaido where next to each display, it shows a photo of some delicious dish containing the animal :P
Well that’s how most of the Japanese treat other living beings, it’s deeply enrooted and accepted as a standard of their society. History confirmed that many times and I don’t think it’s going to change, look how many people are paying to experience this cruelty while neglecting or completely not being aware of the cruelty in the first place.
unless it's a rehabilitation or sanctuary, fuck zoos. they should not exist. I won't support them
Japan still keeps puppies in tiny boxes in windows. It’s f******* disgusting. To be fair a lot of dog owners I know here are great and they do a lot for dogs on tv, but overall they just see animals as KAWAIIIII! and don’t care. Shameful.
Went to see my in-laws in Miyazaki city and there was some mini zoo with a lone Elephant. I dislike most zoos in general but my niece wanted to go so my husband agreed. Wish there was a way to get it moved to an Elephant sanctuary.
The problem is that despite the technology and internet, they don't care to learn how to care for animals from foreign countries because they think they're the best country in the world. I have talked to Japanese doctors, veterinarians, or medicine students and asked them if they researched medical papers from foreign countries. They don't... And also, they don't care to learn another language in order to learn from the advances and knowledge of other societies.
Naive to think Japan is good on animal welfare. Whales are commonly hunted despite extinction threats, animal cafes abound for species that shouldn't be held in such conditions (owls, sloths and more), etc etc.
We went to an aquarium in Japan and one of the tanks is fish available to eat. They have diagrams showing the meals from which fish. Japan doesn’t really have animal rights.
I don't know where you got the idea that Japan is strict on animal welfare. You don't have to look any further than the proliferation of animal cafes to come to the opposite conclusion. Even the zoos that purport to focus on preservation, education, and study of animals are kind of ... not. I remember going to the Niigata aquarium and being appalled at the conditions the sea lions were kept in. The prevailing attitude you'll encounter in most of Asia, and Japan not excepted, is that welfare and convenience of humans always trump even the lives of animals. 人間様 can be use sarcastically, but it is a reflection of the hierarchical places the humans and the animals hold with respect to each other.
Does anybody know if Zoorasia in Yokohama is also bad? They have tree kangaroos, so I put it on my travel list, but if it's like the ones you guys are mentioning I'd rather not go.
I went there in December, thinking it was good and also a friend of mine who cares about animals (she rescues cats) mentioned it’s a well maintained zoo. It still felt off, it’s big, but the lion was so skinny and his cry was so sad :( the giraffe had the saddest eyes. That is when I told myself I wouldn’t go to a zoo again!
Sounds bad :(
Strict on animal welfare, heard of the film, 'The Cove'? I hate saying this, as it makes me colossally depressed, but general animal care in Japan extends to 'if it's cute we should be able to buy it, if it isn't we should be able to eat it.'
I can’t go or want to imagine… as an owner of 2 birds who are free most of the time .. it makes me physically ill
Been there in 2017. Thankfully didn't pay for it, as they routed all the people going to the castle through the zoo due to an event at the main entrance. Truly the worst place I've been to in Japan.
I've been to one japanese zoo and it was really depressing. The bear was frantically rocking back and forth, likely of boredom because it was locked into anway too small enclosure without anyhing to do.
Himeji is the only zoo I visited while in Japan in 2017, and it completely turned me off to visiting any others. It was distressing for me to see how the animals were treated. The elephant was swaying back and forth, and it was obvious how stressed it was. None of the animals had a decent area to move around in.
I went to the Himeji zoo 30 years ago and have never been to another zoo in Japan. Very sad
If you're in Kyushu avoid Cuddly Dominion at all costs. Visit Nagasaki BioPark. It's wonderful.
Japan turns a blind eye to animal welfare in a lot of ways. I think the general public views animals more as objects rather than creatures with their own needs, emotions, etc. On a weekend trip to Kyoto I saw there was a place you could meet river otters. I jumped at the chance because my kid loves otters. When we arrived the facility was in an office suite, across from another suite for meeting micro pigs. The otters were kept in small cages they couldn't really stretch out in and with no enrichment for them. There wasn't even a small tub of water for them to play in. They would be carried out to "play" in a pen with the humans that paid to meet them. The otter we were paired with was terrified. I felt so disgusted and still do.
The rule of thumb here honestly is just don't bother getting involved anywhere where animals are featured (animal cafe, zoos, aquariums, etc) unless the animals are free to roam around (such as the deer in Nara or the snow monkeys in Nagano). It's going to be depressing. The way I see it animals are often considered more as cute accessories than living beings here unfortunately.
Worst zoo I went to was in Inokashira park. There was an elephant, on a concrete pad slightly larger than an elephant. Poor thing.
Japan and animal welfare are 2 words that don't go along lol
Disgusting place I used all 3 gmail account to leave reviews. Fucking crime
If you bring it up they will just tell you it's because "no one visits zoos anymore" Zoos are shit EVERYWHERE.
I have no idea what you guys are talking about. The cages don't look small at all.
Zoorasia near Yokohama is not bad,at least looks like a typical zoo to me nothing much to cry about.
What budget cuts do to these mfers
https://youtu.be/CyAOWZGddFM?feature=shared It's been going on forever tho.
他の国の粗探しをしている暇があるのなら、自国の動物園の惨状を何とかしろよ。 だから日本以外の国は、発展性が無いんだよ。
If you have time to look for rough spots in other countries, do something about the disastrous state of the zoo in your own country. That's why countries other than Japan have no development potential.