PRESS RELEASE Consumers Union of Japan is protesting against the lack of public access to Japan’s Animal Welfare Opinion Exchange Meetings and problems with the way the meetings are being run. Japan has not adopted modern rules for animal welfare, especially in the chicken and egg production. A scandal erupted as LDP politician and former agriculture minister Takamori Yoshikawa was found guilty of taking bribes from Akita Foods Co., an egg producer based in Hiroshima Prefecture. At the same time, Japan had opposed globally binding rules for egg production at the United Nation’s organization for animal health, OIE, where international standards are supposed to be agreed upon. The fallout from…
Energy Shift
Energy Shift: Urgent Statement Against the Resumption of Nuclear Power Plant Operations on the Pretext of Tight Power Supply and Demand Due to the Extreme Heat The rainy season ended about 20 days earlier than usual this year, and since the last week of June, there have been extremely hot days in many parts of Japan. As a result, the government has issued an “Electricity Supply-Demand Stress Alert” in the service areas of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and other areas, and has issued a request for power saving. As if in response to this situation, there is a growing demand for the restart of nuclear power plants. Consumers Union…
We Will Not be Complicit in War, We Will Not Let it Happen
We will not be complicit in war, and we will not let it happen. 【消費者リポート】1658号（2022年6月20日発行） Taking advantage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Japanese government has announced plans to maintain an “enemy base attack capability” and to increase defense expenditures to more than 2% of GDP *. Under Article 9 of the Constitution, which clearly states the renunciation of war and the non-retention of military forces, a major shift is about to take place in Japan’s policy of defending itself exclusively against invasion. Since the Abe administration took office in 2012, the Secret Protection Law, the Security Law, and the Conspiracy Crime Act have already been passed, overcoming opposition from…
Kick the Pesticide Industry Out of FAO!
Consumers Union of Japan is one of the 430 civil society and indigenous peoples organizations from 69 countries who signed the letter to the FAO Council to end the agency’s partnership with the pesticide industry (CropLife International)! Pesticide Action Network is submitting the letter to the FAO Council in Rome, Italy today, 9 June 2022. Letter (pdf) here: English-CSO-and-IP-Letter-to-FAO-Council-RE-Ending-CLI-Partnership
Japan Resources – 185
Please click here for our latest English newsletter: JR 185 From the Editors: Growing Movement Exposing Fragrance Pollution in Japan Violating Consumers’ Right to Know and Choose Essay: Unexpectedly… From the Editors: Growing Movement Welcome to issue No. 185 of Consumers Union of Japan’s English newsletter. The theme of this issue is “Exposing Fragrance Pollution in Japan” where we discuss the problem and the growing movement trying to deal with it. CUJ and other organisations have been acting as a principal driver of the movement for the last several years. We also have an update on the Japanese government’s assault on consumers’ right to know and choose, as it moves…