EIA campaigns for the end of Japan’s ivory trade by exposing the reality of Japan’s broken domestic ivory trade controls, which are ineffective at preventing illegal ivory from entering the market. We advocate for market closure and work towards this end with partners in Japan and internationally.
Japan
By exposing loopholes in Japan’s domestic ivory controls, EIA is working to shut down Japan’s problematic ivory market.
Ending Japan’s Role in the Ivory Trade
Nations across the globe are closing their domestic ivory markets to protect elephants from the trade in ivory, including the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, among others. Japan now hosts the world’s largest legal ivory market, and its controls are ridden with loopholes that enable illegal trade activity.
Japan has long played a prominent role in the illegal ivory trade and elephant poaching crisis driven by the trade in ivory. EIA calculates that since the 1970s, Japan has imported ivory from more than 262,000 African elephants. In the 1980s, Japan was the leading consumer of elephant ivory from Africa, most it from poached elephants imported through trade loopholes.
Japan has been unable to control its domestic ivory market and illegal ivory continues to enter Japan’s trade and be illegally exported to countries like China. Learn more about Japan's illegal ivory exports here. In addition to facilitating ivory laundering, Japan’s open market stimulates demand and makes effective enforcement impossible. Japan must align with the international community and take steps to close its domestic ivory market. Japanese retail industry leaders like Rakuten, Aeon, and Yahoo! Japan have acted to cease ivory sales, and their role in Japan's porous and problematic domestic ivory market.
Our Approach
Related Reports and Briefings
Last But Not Least: Japan’s Domestic Ivory Market
Willing to Sell: Snapshot Investigations of Ivory Hanko Retailers in Japan
Persistent Problem: Japan’s Domestic Ivory Trade
Japan's Illegal Ivory Trade: Briefing Document for Delegates to CITES Standing Committee 69
How Ivory Hanko Destroyed Africa's Elephants and Drives Japan's Illegal Ivory Trade
Superficial Reforms: An Analysis of Recent Amendments to Japan's Ivory Control Laws
The Dirty Secrets of Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade
Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade and Fraudulent Registration of Ivory Tusks
Related Press Releases, Blogs, and Letters
Letter: NGOs Make Recommendations for Tokyo Ivory Market Closure
Still Waiting for Action: Tokyo's Ivory Trade Assessment
Tokyo Fumbles Short-Term Ivory Trade Action
Letter: NGO Appeal to the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Letter: NGO Appeal to Tokyo for Urgent Measures on Ivory
Japanese Retailers Willing to Sell Ivory Hanko for Illegal Export
Tokyo Urged to Resurrect Ivory Trade Assessment
Letter: Appeal to Tokyo's Governor Koike for Ivory Market Closure
Thirty Years Since the International Ivory Ban, Say Goodbye to Ivory Hanko
End of an Era: Yahoo! Japan Ceases Ivory Sales
Japan’s Ivory Trade Faces Intensifying Opposition at Home and Abroad
Decision by Yahoo! Japan to End Ivory Sales Celebrated by Elephant Advocates
One Year Out from 2020 Tokyo Games, NGOs Appeal to Tokyo Governor to End Ivory Trade
Japan’s Latest Tokyo 2020 Supporter Leads the World’s Elephant Ivory Sales
Legal Markets Like Those in Japan Enable Traders to Launder Illegal Ivory and Frustrate Enforcement
Investigation Reveals Hanko Demand Drives Japan's Illegal Ivory Trade
In Japan, the Ivory Commerce Times are a Changin’
EIA Applauds Japan’s AEON for Elephant Ivory Phase-out
Japan's Internet Retail Giant Rakuten Ichiba Ceasing Ivory Sales
Ivory Traders Linked to Yahoo! Japan Exposed in Illegal Ivory Activity
Fraudulent Tusk Registration Fuels Ivory Trade in Japan
Exposed: The Dirty Secrets of Japan’s Illegal Ivory Trade
Japanese Traders Offer Ivory Tusks to Chinese Buyers for Illegal Export
EIA Condemns Japan’s Ivory Tusk Registration Campaign
Japanese Wildlife Official Promoted Illegal Ivory Trade
EIA Demands Closure of Japan’s Ivory Market Following New Evidence of Illegal Ivory Trade
On Eve of Tokyo Wildlife Symposium, Environmentalists Call on Japan to Ban Domestic Ivory Trade
Japan's Plan to Increase Ivory Trade Poses Threat to Success of China's Domestic Ivory Ban
Global Conservation Coalition Appeals to Japanese Prime Minister to Ban Domestic Ivory Trade
LETTER: U.S. House Of Representatives letter to Japan Regarding Ivory
Blood e-Commerce: Rakuten’s profits from the slaughter of elephants and whales
SoftBank refuses to stop selling elephant, dolphin and whale products on Yahoo! Japan
LETTER: To SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son
LETTER: Coalition Urges Japanese Prime Minister to Ban Domestic Ivory Trade