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Press Release

Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: The reality of ivory slipping into Japan’s legal markets and being illegally exported overseas through legal loopholes has been revealed: Closing the domestic ivory market is essential
 800 795 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

On February 2, 2026, it was reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested the suspects and sent the documents about the suspect not arrested and the suspected companies to prosecutors regarding the illegal trade of unregistered ivory (whole ivory). The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment also issued press releases regarding this matter. The high illegality of this case This case is particularly illegal for the following reasons: -Registered businesses did not simply sell unregistered whole tusks on the black market; instead, they falsely represented them as ivory-like materials at an internet auction, thereby allowing them to be sold in the legal market. This case reveals the widespread practice of registered businesses exploiting…

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REPORT: Submission of the briefing on TMG’s subsidies to ivory industry to the Governor
 484 465 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

On June 11, 2024, JTEF and Environmental Investigation Agency based in Washington D.C. submitted a briefing: “Tokyo Metropolitan Government Subsidies to Ivory Industry Stakeholders” to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (See the summary the briefing on EIA website). It revealed that Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs has paid subsidies annually [yearly average of around 4 million JPY (33,000 USD)] to Tokyo’s leading ivory industry association with the goals of igniting the resumption of international ivory trade, increasing the domestic demand for ivory crafts and products, and facilitating the trade in ivory. Project Examples The ivory association described in the application form dated July 5th, 2021: “Currently, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana whose president was replaced and…

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PRESS RELEASE: International community relies more on Tokyo than on Japanese government on regulating over open domestic ivory market
 813 817 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund and 16 NGOs in the world sent a letter to the Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike in January 2023, requesting to enact an ordinance to be adopted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly to close the ivory market in Tokyo with only very narrow exemptions if necessary. The Advisory Council on Regulation of Ivory Trade designated under the initiative of the Tokyo Governor on January 28, 2020 was closed on March 29, 2022, issuing the final recommendations after some delay due to COVID-19 pandemic. The most potential and noteworthy recommendation is: “[…] The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should consider legal or other effective means to ensure that the ivory trade does not contribute to elephant poaching and illegal…

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PRESS RELEASE: Inevitable Challenges: Restriction of Tourist Visitation to Iriomote Island
 663 645 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

JTEF and its office in Iriomote Island: Yamaneko Patrol published a report on reducing levels of tourist visitation and strengthening the traffic management measures designed to reduce road fatalities of Iriomote cats. It aims to review the Japanese government’s report on its response to the World Heritage Committee’s decision. This report concluded that setting a specific allowable limit of the number of tourists to Iriomote Island which is to be considerably less than the one before Covid-19 pandemic is essential from the perspective of both reducing levels of tourist visitation and prevention of road fatalities of Iriomote cats. It was submitted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that is responsible for examining the response of Japanese government…

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PRESS RELEASE: Japan Prime Minister Urged to Commit to Japan’s Ivory Market Closure
 1000 1024 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

Washington, DC and Tokyo, Japan – Before the 19th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Nov 14-25, non-government organizations are appealing to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for Japan’s commitment to closing its ivory market to protect elephants from the threat of ivory trade. The letter states: “While Africa seems far away, Japan can play a role by closing its legal domestic market for elephant ivory. We urge you to commit to the closure of Japan’s domestic ivory market to send a signal to the global community that Japan is ready to join other countries and take a significant step to protect Africa’s elephants from being killed…

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REPORT: Ripe for Abuse: Japan’s ivory market
 733 737 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

Domestic ivory markets are on the agenda at CITES CoP19, and EIA and JTEF have released a short briefing focused on Japan’s domestic market, the most significant open market today. This report is prepared for briefing the facts and our views to the delegates to CoP19. Japan must recognize that any open ivory market contributes to illegal trade and poaching and must do its part to protect elephants by closing its domestic ivory market. CITES Parties must take decisive action at CoP19 to urge Japan to close its market.

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REPORT: Smugglers’ Source: Japan’s Legal Ivory Market – An Analysis of Chinese Court Decisions of Ivory Illegally Exported from Japan
 1024 924 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

TOKYO (November 1, 2022)— Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund released today a report: “Smugglers’ Source: Japan’s Legal Ivory Market –An Analysis of Chinese Court Decisions of Ivory Illegally Exported from Japan”. Thousands of elephants are killed every year to supply the trade in their ivory tusks. While international commercial trade in ivory has been banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and many Parties have taken steps to close their markets*, Japan’s domestic ivory market remains open, supported by the world’s largest ivory stockpile**. Legal domestic ivory markets threaten the effectiveness of the international ban on commercial ivory trade and undermine the efforts of Parties that have closed their ivory markets.…

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PRESS RELEASE: 27 international NGOs sent a letter to the Tokyo Governor, urging prompt consideration of an ordinance for closing Tokyo’s ivory market in accordance with the recommendation by Tokyo’s expert panel
 391 413 Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s (TMG) designated Advisory Council on Regulation of Ivory Trade issued the final recommendations after seven meetings and more than two years of discussions and deliberations. 27 international NGOs sent a letter to the Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to thank for her efforts so far and urge her to implement the recommendations expeditiously. . In particular, the third recommendation has the most potential for impact and deserves the most attention: “[…] Ivory trade is regulated by legal frameworks in major countries around the world as well, and it is permitted with the limited exception of art and such items. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should consider legal or other effective means to ensure that the ivory trade does…

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