Japan Tiger Elephant Organization

News and Resources

World Elephant Day Tokyo Aug 12
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Aug 12 is World Elephant Day!  We will have an event for JTEF and Our Partners The Ueno Zoo! From 6:30PM, JTEF President Kumi Togawa, will have an discussion with the Ueno Zookeepers about the latest updates regarding wild elephants. Additionally, fundraising merchandise for JTEF will be sold by YUI from 3PM, with a Zookeeper talk happening at 5PM in front of the Elephant Exhibit. There are two species of elephants in the world, African and Asian elephants. The population of Asian elephants is 46,000-49,000 living in the wild in 13 different countries. Up to 60% of the world population (27,000 individuals) can be found in India. India is the only country that has the expansive area needed as a natural…

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Press Release: One Year Out from 2020 Tokyo Games, NGOs Appeal to Tokyo Governor to End Ivory Trade
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July 25, 2019: TOKYO Tokyo, Japan – One year before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, international and Japanese conservation organizations are appealing to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to ban the sale of ivory in the city. Japan boasts the world’s largest legal domestic ivory market; its ongoing support for an industry that fuels the poaching of an estimated 20,000 African elephants each year threatens to tarnish the reputation of Tokyo and the 2020 Games. The Environmental Investigation Agency US, Humane Society International, WildAid, Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund and Tears of the African Elephant urge the Governor to support international efforts to conserve and protect Africa’s rapidly declining elephant population by closing the ivory market in Tokyo…

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BLOG: Council of Elders of the 32-member African Elephant Coalition (AEC) calls on Japan to close its ivory market
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June 17, 2019: The African Elephant Coalition (AEC) comprising 32 African countries and the majority of African elephant range states (28) made a press release that AEC Council of Elders called on the government of Japan to close its ivory market, among the world’s largest, and support stronger protection of Africa’s elephants. “We’re calling on Japan to follow the example of China and close its domestic ivory market. We believe that doing so will strengthen Japan’s international conservation image ahead of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics”, said Azizou El Hadj Issa, Chairman of the AEC’s Council of Elders, in his letters to Taro Kono, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoshiaki Harada the Minister of Environment and Hiroshige Seko, the Minister…

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Join Our Fundraiser To Support Tiger, Elephant & Iriomote Cat Conservation!
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July 6(Sat) Doors open 5:30, Event Starts 6 PM Location:Beer Station Ebisu. 2 Flr (JR Ebisu Station, East Exit. Take the moving walkway 5 mins to Ebisu Garden Place) Cost:6,000 Yen (Including the 5,000 yen buffet and proceeds to benefit the NPO JTEF) Live Guest Performance: Angela Raga, a traditional Indian dance instructor and a Bollywood Dance Performer Enjoy the ‘Beer Station Ebisu’ as it has just been reopened after being renovated and you can enjoy the buffet and all you can drink menu, while getting to know other JTEF supporters. It is a really fun-filled evening! ★Great Raffle Prizes awarded to donors  (Prizes are Donations from JTEF Supporters) ★We will have sales of fundraising items such as Tshirts and Cloth Ecobags…

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BLOG: Annoyance sparking ivory dealers sneering at the “tightening” ivory whole tusk registration from July 1st
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June 7, 2019, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MoE) announced their “plan to tighten the examination on applications for ivory whole tusk registration”. https://www.env.go.jp/press/106849.html Domestic ivory trade in Japan is controlled by the “Law for Conservation of Endangered Species” (LCES). The key of the controls is the regulation “prohibiting transferring or receiving ivory without registration”. However, the regulated “ivory” is limited to “tusks maintaining their whole shape”. Ivory cut pieces and products not maintaining the original silhouette like a crescent can be traded without registration. But, in other words, is it true ivory trade has been effectively regulated as long as whole tusks are concerned? That’s not true, also. Needless to say, some legal requirements for allowing registration are set…

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REPORTS: “Compelled to Close: Top 5 Reasons for Closing Japan’s Domestic Ivory Market
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May 31, 2019   TOKYO – Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund (JTEF) released its new report: “Compelled to Close: Top 5 Reasons for Closing Japan’s Domestic Ivory Market” before the opening 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).   The closure of world’s domestic ivory markets including Japan will be discussed at CITES CoP18 meeting. The government of Japan is planning to end a campaign promoting ivory registration at the end of May and introduce a stricter regulation on ivory registration procedure from the beginning of July, intending to get the recognition of international community on maintaining its ivory market.   The new report…

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PRESS RELEASE: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asks Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to support a ban on Japan’s ivory trade
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May 17, 2019 WASHINGTON—As athletes and organizers prepare for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is asking Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to support efforts to end the ivory trade in Japan, the largest ivory market in the world. Mayor de Blasio is among a growing group of world leaders and elected officials urging Japan to ban all ivory sales to combat the illegal ivory trade in advance of the 2020 Summer Games. In a letter sent to Governor Koike last week, Mayor de Blasio wrote: “Sustainability is a key theme of next year’s games as reflected in the guiding principle: ‘Be better together – for the planet and the people.’….With millions of people…

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BLOG: KEEN + JTEF Us 4 Iriomote
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April 12, 2019  Aoyama, Tokyo A well-known footwear company, KEEN held a media event to launch their “Us 4 Iriomote” campaign in 2019 to help conserve the natural/cultural environment in Iriomote island. The initiative includes funding some non-governmental organizations working on the ground, producing a movie featuring the people’s life in Iriomote island throughout four seasons, promoting 4 actions that people can do to help support the future of the natural wilderness of Iriomote. 1 Get to know the nature & culture of Iriomote. 2 Take action to protect the nature of Iriomote. 3 Have dialogue about and envision the future of nature. 4 To Continue to maintain its beauty for the next generation. This Keen CSR project will help…

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