【Laws and Regulations】
The Laws and Regulations related to animals are not well known in Japan.
     
The listed below show a history of how the animals have been treated legally, and which laws may affect us.
*These listed below are not the only laws and regulations.
     
①Date Issued
②Place Announced
③Name of the Law/Regulations
④Basic Contents
⑤Reference

① A.D.675
② Asukanomiya
③ The Prohibition of Meat-Eating
④ Edict of Emperor Tenmu. The first law prohibiting meat hunting and eating beef, horses, monkeys, dogs, and chicken every year from April till September.
⑤ http://www.alive-net.net/law/wadai/law-history.html

① 1685~1709
② Edo
③ Mercy-for-lives Law (“Shorui-awaremino-rei” in Japanese)
④ In 1685, shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa issued to ban people from killing animals unnecessarily, and there were penalties for violators of that law. It was abolished by shogun Ienobu in 1709.
⑤ Japanese Dictionary

① 1873
② Tokyo
③ The Regulation of Canine in Tokyo
④ Regulated for pet owners to out the collar with the owner’s name and address on their dogs. The ones without collars were put down by the government, and dogs with rabies were put down by their owners. The rabid dogs had to be chanined up.
⑤ http://www.hdkkk.net/topics/rabi0105.html

① 1881
② Tokyo
③ The New Regulation of Canine in Tokyo
④ The pet owners were told to notify the police when their dogs went missing or the infectious disease was found.
⑤ http://www.hdkkk.net/topics/rabi0105.html

① 1886
② Tokyo
③ The Infectious Diseases Control Law
④ For examinations, dogs were held for the maximum of 12 hours as Prefectural Animal Health Inspectors had decided.
⑤ http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/sosiki/04.html

① 1892
② Tokyo
③ The Animal Health Prevention Law
④ The rabies had registered as infectious disease and added dogs in the category of animals of this law.
⑤ http://www.hdkkk.net/topics/rabi0105.html

① 1892
② Tokyo
③ The regulations of Hunting
④ The traps and nets were added as the hunting gears under this law and also added 15 species on the list of protected animals that were banned to hunt.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/council/12nature/y124-01/mat03.pdf

① 1895
② Tokyo
③ The Regulations of Hunting
④ Banned to distinct professional hunting and sport hunting.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/council/12nature/y124-01/mat03.pdf

① 1896
② Tokyo
③ The Prevention of Animal Health(later renamed as The Prevention of Infectious Diseases on Livestock)
④ The import quarantine inspection was established and enacted in each prefecture.
⑤ http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/sosiki/04.html

① 1897
② Tokyo
③ Civil Code – The responsibility of the Owners of Animals
④ Civil Code #718  The animal owners take the responsibility of the compensation for the damages caused by the animal.
However, there are exceptions for those who were considered that s/he had done the due diligence.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/M29/M29HO089.html

① 1897
② Tokyo
③ The Notice of the Prevention of Animal Health
④ The dogs with rabies should be beaten to death, the ones with incubation periods for infections should be chained up strictly.
⑤ http://www.hdkkk.net/topics/rabi0105.html

① 1898
② Tokyo
③ The Tax Law for Dog Owners
④ The dog-owning residents were charged for “Dog Tax”.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/arikata/h16_01/mat04.pdf

① 1922
② Tokyo
③ The Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control
④ To catch the stray dogs are believed as the most effective method to prevent and eliminate rabies. The police officers catched the stray dogs, handed over to the owners if found. When the owners are unknown, dogs are kept for 3 days then put down if there are no claim.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/arikata/h16_01/mat04.pdf
http://www.hdkkk.net/topics/rabi0105.html

① 1939
② Tokyo
③ The City Ordinance of Dog Mooring Obligation
④ To chain up the dogs had become the legal obligation for dog owners.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/arikata/h16_01/mat04.pdf

① 1948
② Tokyo
③ The Provision of Minor Offense Act for Abuse Prevention
④ “The citizen who has beaten, abused, or not fed cows, horses, and other animals properly” are subjected to the punishment.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/arikata/h16_01/mat04.pdf

① 1949
② Tokyo
③ The Veterinarians Act
④ The citizen who applies for the veterinary license must turn in the application with required information with the check for registration fees to the Minister of Agriculture.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S24/S24F00601000093.html

① 1950
② Tokyo
③ The Prevention of Rabies and The Regulation of Dog Import Requirements
④ Established to prevent the future occurrence of rabies and eliminate, and improve the public health environment.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S25/S25F03601000052.html

① 1950
② Tokyo
③ The Revision of the Hunting Law
④ The wildlife sanctuary was funded and the permission for breeding was implemented.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/council/12nature/y124-01/mat03.pdf

① 1951
② Tokyo
③ The Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control
④ Established to prevent the infectious diseases within livestock to promote the animal husbandry. The new agreements on the quarantine on trade was set.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S26/S26HO166.html

① 1956
② Tokyo
③ The Rendering Law Enforcement Ordinance
④ 1.Cows 2. Horses 3.pigs 4.sheep 5 goats 6.dogs 7. fowls(except chicks younger than 30 days)8.ducks(except chicks younger than 30 days)9.Other animals
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S31/S31SE285.html

① 1957
② Tokyo
③ The Regulation of Domestic Dogs
④ Mooring obligation is included.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/arikata/h16_01/mat04.pdf

① 1960
② Tokyo
③ Act on Improvement and Increased Production of Livestock
④ The movement to improvement and to ensure livestocks for increase of production.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S25/S25HO209.html

① 1969
② Omuta City, Fukuoka
③ The regulation for owned dogs and to control strays in Omuta City
④ To improve the safety of the life of the residents and to protect citizens from dogs being harmful, the matters to control the owned dogs and strays were set.
⑤ https://www3.e-reikinet.jp/omuta/d1w_reiki/344901010004000000MH/344901010004000000MH/344901010004000000MH.html

① 1973
② Tokyo
③ Act on Welfare and Management of Animals
④ Act on Welfare and Management of Animals – From Washington Convention
To avoid the animal abuse or abandonment and to treat animals right to protect their health condition and the safety. The purpose is to actualize the society of people and animals coexist.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/cgi-bin/idxselect.cgi?IDX_OPT=5&H_NAME=&H_NAME_YOMI=%82%A0&H_NO_GENGO=H&H_NO_YEAR=&H_NO_TYPE=2&H_NO_NO=&H_FILE_NAME=S48HO105&H_RYAKU=1&H_CTG=1&H_YOMI_GUN=1&H_CTG_GUN=1

① 1975
② Tokyo
③ Order for Enforcement of the Act on the Animal Welfare
④ Order for Enforcement of the Act on the Animal Welfare #7
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S50/S50SE107.html

① 1975
② Tokyo
③ Kind to Animal Week
④ To arrange the “Kind to Animal Week” to promote better understandings about the dignity of animal lives, animal welfare, and the correct way to take care of the animals.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/pickup/week.html

① 1976
② Tokyo
③ The Criteria of the Management and Instructions for Animals for Exhibition
④ Those who have the care of animals for exhibition must manage the environment, care with love and take the responsibility on the care, to avoid to harm people or their property.
⑤ http://nrichd.ncchd.go.jp/anim/law6.htm

① 1980
② Tokyo
③ Establishment of Criteria of the Experimental Animals
④ The administrators are required to take care of the experimental animals with love and understand their mode of life ecology and habits. They also must make an effort to scientifically make use of them and take a responsibility to take control over to avoid any incident harmful to people or their property and any defacement of the environment.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/nt_h180428_88.html

① 1987
② Tokyo
③ Establishment of Criteria of the Industrial Animals
④ The administrators are required to take care of the experimental animals with love and understand their mode of life ecology and habits. They also must make an effort to scientifically make use of them and take a responsibility to take control over to avoid any incident harmful to people or their property and any defacement of the environment.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/sangyo.html

① 1992
② Tokyo
③ The Law of the Endangered Species and the Preservation of a species
④ About the prevention of Tsushima Leopard Cat and Iriomote Leopard Cat that are both endangered species
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H04/H04HO075.html

⑥ 1993
⑦ Tokyo
⑧ Establishment of the Veterinarian Cares
⑨ The purpose is to ensure the veterinarian care of conventional animals to offer the care as needed
⑩ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H04/H04HO046.html

① 1995
② Tokyo
The Establishment of the Animal Culling, the policy, and its Method
④ The administrators and practitioner must understand the mode of life ecology and habit of the animald targeted for the culling. The culling must be done with the method that’s not painful.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/laws/shobun.pdf

① 1998
② Ogasawaramura, Tokyo
③ The Regulation of the Appropriate Raising of Domestic Cats in Ogasawara Islands
④ On the islands, microchipping the cat is required for the owners. The stray cats are sent to the main island of Japan as they are caught on Ogasawara island and put up for adoption. It’s called “Ogasawaramura Cat Project”
⑤ http://www.vill.ogasawara.tokyo.jp/reiki_int/reiki_honbun/g164RG00000180.html#l000000000

① 1999
② Tokyo
③ The Law of the Animal Welfare and the Management (Amended)
④ To support the pet owners to take their responsibility and regulation for those in animal handling business.
⑤ http://www.env.go.jp/council/14animal/y140-03/ref01.pdf

① 1999
② Tokyo
③ Import and Export Animals Quarantine Regulations of Japan
④ When animals such as dogs are imported, they must pass the quarantine inspection and quarantine period of 180 days for the rabies exam. Some animals are added to the species required for this inspection.
⑤ http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/sosiki/04.html

① 2000
② Tokyo
③ The Establishment of the management and the Construction of the Facility for Animal Handling Business(government ordinance)
④ To maintain the safety and health of the animals that the animal handling business handle, those facilities to keep them must be observed and managed well.
⑤ http://www.env.go.jp/hourei/18/000276.html

① 2000
② Tokyo
③ Animals with Possibilities to be Harmful Categorized to Protect People’s Lives and Properties
④ Animal expert adviser committee were arranged to determinethe animals that could be harmful.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/minaoshi/h24_01/mat02.pdf

① 2002
② Tokyo
③ Established Criteria Related to the Care of Domestic Animals (Announced)
④ The criteria of the care of dogs and cats were revised as the criteria for the domestic animals and others.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/2_data/pamph/kijun/02.pdf

① 2002
② Tokyo
③ The Law of the Assistance Dog for People with Special Needs
④ To contribute to promote and socialize people with special needs, foster assistance dogs and smoothing the facilities.
⑤ http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/syakai/hojyoken/html/a01.html

2002
Tottori
③ The Regulation Related to the Control of the Care of Dogs and Cats hat Could be Harmful to the Residents in Tottori
④ To have more than 10 dogs and cats by the same owner in the regulated area where the prefectual governer specified is not allowed, and if it’s violated, the pet owners are subjected to be sentenced 6 months in prison or fined the penalty of $3,000 or less.
⑤ http://www.pref.tottori.lg.jp/90758.htm

① 2004
② Tokyo
③ Revision of the Regulation of the Quarantine and Inspection of the Imported and Exported Dogs and Others
④ Requesting to voluntary refuse to import the dogs and cats of 10 months old or younger from the area specified with the danger of rabies.
⑤ http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/hou/pdf/inu_im.pdf

① 2005
② Uwajima City, Ehime
③ The Regulation of the Prevention of any Damage Caused by Feces and Urine of Owned Dogs in Uwajima City
④ To set the responsibility for the dog owners to manage the damage caused by feces and urine.
⑤ https://www.city.uwajima.ehime.jp/reiki/reiki_honbun/r188RG00000418.html

① 2006
② Tokyo
③ Animal Welfare and Management
④ The law to revise a part of the law of animal welfare and its management.
⑤ http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H18/H18F18001000001.html

① 2006
② Tokyo
③ The Outline of Taking in Dogs and Cats or the Injured Ones
④ About to take in dogs and cats or the injured ones and to manage, keep, return, put up for adoption, euthanize or animal culling, and process the carcass.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/hourei/18/000007.html

① 2006
② Kanuma City, Tochigi
③ The Regulation of Establish the Rules or Facilities of Animal Welfare or the Management of Pets
④ To aim to avoid dishonest dealers to expand its business
⑤ http://alive-net.net/companion-animal/locallaw/kanuma-jorei.html

① 2006
② Yokohama
③ The Regulation of the Management of Animal Welfare and Animals in Yokohama City
④ About $15 granted to a cat or dog owner to microchip their pet. The total amount of the pets grated for microchipping is about 500 dogs and cats.
⑤ http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kenko/hokenjo/genre/douai/subsidy/microchip.html

① 2008
② Tokyo
③ The Law of the Safety of Feed Requirements for Pets
④ Attempt the safety of pets and its feed requirements to keep them healthy
⑤ http://www.env.go.jp/press/9427.html

① 2008
Taketomi Cho, Okinawa
③ The Regulation of Having a Cat in Taketomi Cho
④ To protect special natural monument Iriomot Cat from infectious disease, the virus test and vaccinations are required for the cat owners on this island.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/kisho/hogozoushoku/iriomoteyamaneko.html

① 2012
② Tokyo
③ Law of Humane Treatment and Management of Animals
④ To obligate to notify in advance about the foster parents who would adopt the unsold pets from pet shops. The government-run shelter may refuse to take in the pets from their owners for reasons against to take care for the rest of its life.
⑤ https://www.env.go.jp/nature/dobutsu/aigo/1_law/revise_h24.html

① 2012
② Haboro Cho, Hokkaido
③ The Regulation of Cat Care on Teuri Island
④ One of the points of this regulations is to protect the breeding activity of the seabirds. It is obligatory for the cat owners to register and microchip their cat. If it is free-range cat, neutering or spaying is required. It is banned for the residents and visitors to feed or water any cat on the island.
⑤ http://www.asahi.com/area/hokkaido/articles/MTW20130527010500001.html

① 2012
② Asahikawa City, Hokkaido
③ The Regulation of the Asahikawa City Animal Welfare Shelter
④ The Asahikawa City Animal Welfare Shelter was built to attempt enlightenment related to the proper care of animals, and to coexistence with animals.
⑤http://www1.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/soumu_soumu/d1w_reiki/42490101004400000000/42490101004400000000/42490101004400000000.html

① 2013
② Nigata City, Nigata
③ The Regulation of Animal Welfare and its Management in Nigata City
④ The system of obligation to notify before keeping more than 10 dogs or cats. If it’s violated, the pet owners are subjected to be fined the penalty of $500.
⑤ http://shippo-news.seesaa.net/article/369284706.html

① 2015
② Kyoto City, Kyoto
③ The Regulation to Ban Inappropriate Feeding Stray Cats
④ Starting October 1st of 2015, residents are subjected to be fined over $500 when the regulation is violated by feeding stray cats and damaging the environment by leaving food without proper cleaning.
⑤ http://sippolife.jp/article/2015092800001.html

① 2015
② Kyoto City, Kyoto
③ The Regulation of Manner to Coexistence with Animals
④ Established to avoid harming people by taking care of animals inappropriately and protect environment.
⑤ http://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/hokenfukushi/page/0000181226.html

① 2016
② Sapporo City, Hokkaido
③ Act on Welfare and Management of Animals, Sapporo City
④ Aiming to keep puppies and kitties with their mother and siblings until they are 8 weeks old to maintain the environment to learn to be socialized and boost immunity system.
⑥ http://www.at-s.com/news/article/politics/national/224709.html

① 2016
② Wakayama
③ Revision of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals
④ It’s banned to feed stray cats in Wakayama starting April, 2017.
⑤ http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160318/wst1603180019-n1.html